


two slow dancers

by killerleo



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, M/M, No season 6, blaine goes to nyu, no klaine wedding cos gross
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:53:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24589393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killerleo/pseuds/killerleo
Summary: the one where season 6 never happened, blaine goes to nyu, and running into sebastian over winter break is the best thing to ever happen to him.~'Wait no, scratch that. The universe is in fact a huge Regina George level bitch, as sat right next to where Blaine’s seat is, is Sebastian fucking Smythe. Sebastian Smythe… in economy seating?'
Relationships: Blaine Anderson/Sebastian Smythe
Comments: 52
Kudos: 122





	1. chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> hey so this is the first fanfic i have ever written in my whole damn life and shit it's hard. seblaine is my heart and joy however and lockdown got me obsessing over them hence the writing outburst. kinda ignoring season 6, as in no klaine wedding, no blaine at dalton, no dalton fire etc. also im english so sorry if i get american things wrong lol
> 
> title from the Mitski song, 'Two Slow Dancers'
> 
> please leave comments/notes/anything at all!

Blaine shuddered and wrapped his coat closer around his shoulders as he made his way down the street, head tucked in and moving quickly to get back to the safety of his apartment as soon as possible. The last his classes over for the semester, he’s eager to get home, get into sweatpants and a hoodie, and put on whatever cheesy Christmas film first pops into his head.

Closing in on his apartment, he ponders his movie choices and ran his roommate Sam’s schedule through his mind, racking his brain to figure out if he’ll have to deal with socialising right now or not. Yeah, he loves Sam to bits but sometimes his reckless optimism and nonstop meta dialogue is just not what he wants, especially after a gruelling day of class and accidentally running into your ex-boyfriend.

Yep, that’s right. A city of 8.3 million people and he still manages to run into his fucking ex, it’s just typical. He even moved to a different fucking college, but nope, clearly the universe is just a bitch like that. Him and Kurt tried the whole friend’s thing, after breaking up and get back together so many times their lives were so connected that it seemed like the right thing to do.

The last break up however, proved final in their failed attempts at closeness, so there had been blessed distance ever since. The past 4 months had been Kurt free, the last time he had set eyes on him was as he screamed at Blaine to get out of the loft (stupid walls free prison), stop being so needy (is it needy to want your boyfriend to actually notice you exist?), and not come back. That last part he had no complaints about, finally giving in to all his friend’s desperate attempts to properly move on and ditch him, so he’d had 4 months of Kurt free bliss.

Until this afternoon, of course.

_2 Hours ago_

“Oh my god I’m so sorry let me…”

“Oops my bad…”

He crashed into another body, awkwardly colliding as he tried to steady his coffee cup and regain any balance or dignity (not likely).

Eyes locked, Blaine’s heart dropped as he took in his ex in front of him, arms intertwined with another man. He was mature enough to admit he was attractive, but also childish enough to wish he had spilled his drink all over both of their stupid tops.

“Blaine! Hi, wow it’s good to see you, it’s been a while!” Kurt exclaimed, having the decency to look a little awkward at being seen with someone else, but also with a twinge of confidence being the first one to be able to move on. Bastard.

“Yeah, hi, nice to, uh, run into you” he stutters, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand, the other gripping onto his coffee with white knuckles. Blaine tried to avoid eye contact, instead wildly looking around trying to plan his escape route out of this god awful situation.

“You look great, glad you’ve managed to settle in at NYU” Kurt stated, smile wide and cold. “It’s so different from NYADA, how fun!”

The slight edge and sarcasm to his voice definitely didn’t go undetected, Blaine resisting the urge to roll his eyes at his pettiness, instead running a mental stream of expletives that Santana would be proud of.

“Yep, it’s good, hard academic work but it’s definitely the best for me” he replied, trying to sound as calm as possible but let’s be honest, subtle and restrained aren’t necessarily some of his primary traits. However, not looking to start any kind of unpleasant conversation, and wanting to get the fuck out of there as soon as possible, he put on a sweet smile and checked his phone.

“Sorry, I have a class to get to, gotta run!”. The guy Kurt was with looked relieved, clearly not having a clue what was going on but not having a good time at all, uncomfortable smile plastered on his face. Kurt returned Blaine’s smile and squeezed his partner’s arm, leaning his head down on his shoulder.

“Of course, don’t want to start falling behind do we…” The statement lacked any intended humour, and came out with bite, the dig at Blaine’s past at NYADA as subtle as a fucking brick through a window. Classy. As he turned to make his escape (finally) he felt a tug on his elbow.

“Oh Blaine? I just heard from Rachel that when everyone is back in Ohio for winter break, she’s throwing a little New Directions reunion at some point, everyone invited! She’ll text you over the details I’m sure but thought I’d give you a heads up, should be nice to see everyone again.”

Great. Another bloody party with uncomfortable stares and awkward interactions, people feeling as if they have to ‘pick a side’ between him and Kurt, driving tension through everyone, even though he just couldn’t care less. Blaine liked McKinley, he knew deep down he shouldn’t have transferred, and Dalton was where he belonged, but he made his choice and he stuck with it, and it gave him some of his closest friends. The underlying feeling of being an outsider was always there however, as Kurt’s boyfriend, or Blaine Warbler, and it just slightly tainted his high school experience. Plus, New Directions reunions were always slightly messy and out of control, due to the insane amount of intergroup relationships and arguments that happened – Blaine had honestly lost count by now.

Snapping out of his internal monologue, he looked back up at Kurt who was staring at him, eyebrow raised, expecting a response.

“Oh. Yeah no, sounds cool. I’ll have to, uh, check my schedule when she lets me know, I’m seeing the Warblers at some point, so we’ll have to see, but sounds fun. I’ll see around then.” Emphasising his final sentence and ignoring the scowl which appears on Kurt’s face at the mention of the Warblers, he turns and walks – he definitely does not run – away, finalising their conversation.

_Present_

Finally reaching his apartment, he sighs and shoves his key into the lock a tad too aggressively, the conversation from earlier in the day still making him frustrated. As he ~~slammed~~ opened the door, the sound of Sam playing some first person shooter game echoed through their shitty apartment, along with the occasional “Fuck”, “You shoot like my mom. Not cos she’s a woman just cos she can’t play video games”, and “Bro get off my back or I’ll shoot you dude”. Sam really did have a beautiful way with words. Running his hands through his hair dislodging his gel, Blaine made his way to the kitchen, offering a grunt of acknowledgement at his roommate and grabbing an apple from the fridge. Actually, fuck the apple, he thought, and grabbed some leftover pizza instead, before heading over to the sofa and flopping down next to Sam.

“Hey man, congrats on finishing the semester! Wanna grab a beer or something tonight before your depressing return to Ohio tomorrow?”. He quit his game and turned to look at Blaine with a goofy look on his face, throwing his arm around his shoulder and ruffling his hair affectionally. Their level of friendliness is one of the thing Blaine treasures most about his time in New York, along with cronuts and college, Sam being the constant optimism and reassurance he needs in his life, whilst also not caring about any toxic masculinity hetero bullshit which would make their relationship awkward.

“Nah I’m good, just gonna chill tonight and rest up, need a pretty early night I reckon”. He sighed, head flopping back on the sofa and drags a hand over his face as he groans, the fatigue of the day setting in, wanting nothing more than to crawl into bed and watch shitty films whilst eating cake for a week straight.

“Plus, I ran into Kurt today, so that’s fun” he laughs, taking in Sam’s dramatic eye roll and groan, miming a gun at his temple. “And apparently Rachel’s planning a New Directions get together, which will be extra painful cos you’re in Kentucky, so I won’t even have Blam to get me through it.”

Sam’s eyes widen at the sound of the party, remorse across his face as he sees Blaine’s pained smile at the thought of going it alone.

“Bro that sucks, you know I wish I could be there for you, it’s just…”

“Yeah I know, your first Christmas with your family in 2 years I totally get it don’t worry, I’m not sure if I’ll even go, doesn’t seem worth it.”

He gets a comforting pat on the back and a sympathetic look from Sam, the two of them knowing they’re both happy Sam gets to spend Christmas with his family after a while apart.

“Hey whatever you want dude, plus you have your Dalton bro’s anyway you can just chill with them, I know you’ve been texting Nick a lot more recently so you can always replace me with him for the holidays” he says with a cheeky grin, gently nudging Blaine’s shoulder with his own, before stretching and standing up.

“You guys can sing acapella and talk about blazers and Katy Perry and whatever rich private school dudes do, get it all out your system before seeing me again so I don’t have to deal with your preppy side.”

Blaine rolls his eyes at his best friend, knowing he’s kidding, but also knowing he’s going to miss the comfort of his platonic other half even for a few weeks. The excitement of seeing his old Warbler friends springs back though, the reconnecting they’ve all been doing the past few months coming ahead with a few arranged meet ups over the winter break. Not that they’d lost all contact, but after his move to McKinley there had definitely been some hurt feelings and separation, not everyone agreeing with his move, and Blaine finding himself more and more with Kurt at the centre of his universe and pushing everything else away. And then, Sebastian happened, and his need to put distance between himself and Dalton grew as the way the taller boy made him feel both scared and enticed him. Especially in his senior year, with Kurt gone and feeling abandoned he couldn’t risk being near Dalton. Because Dalton was Sebastian and Sebastian was temptation and lust and everything he didn’t feel with Kurt, and everything Kurt didn’t make him feel. But since starting NYU he reached out to his old best friends, and they all slotted together like he never left, slowly putting back together the pieces of Blaine which had been shattered over the last few years of his life.

Looking up at Sam affectionately, he punched him in the leg and stood up next to him, slinging an arm over his shoulder and nudging into his side.

“You know you want to wear matching uniforms and sing acapella with me Evans, one day you’ll give into your urges mark my words.” Grinning up at his best friend, he punched him on the arm and made his way to his bedroom, collecting his bag and college work on the way to dump on his desk.

“I’m gonna get changed, order some shitty take out and put on Die Hard, you wanna watch with me?” he called back at Sam, looking over at his prepacked suitcases ready for his flight tomorrow. He receives a loud grunt in response, his roommate vigorously giving him a thumbs up with an apple shoved in his mouth, grinning like a maniac. Blaine laughs fondly, pushing any thoughts of Kurt, Ohio, or disagreements about Die Hard being a Christmas move – because it totally is – out of his head as he puts on sweats and a hoodie, and makes his way back into the living room to enjoy his last night in New York for the year.


	2. chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> introduction of sebastian, and a grossly stereotypical/unlikely meeting of the two of them.

2.

_Shitshitshitshitshit_  
Blaine’s internal monologue continued along those lines as he briskly walked as gracefully as possible through the airport, his flight approaching rapidly and his gate being way too far away for his liking. Die Hard had turned into a Die Hard marathon which turned into going to sleep way too late for his flight time, leading to his current predicament of rushing like a mad man through the airport. Hair ungelled, coffee not drunk, this morning was everything Blaine hated about life and he only had himself and Bruce Willis to blame.

Swerving into his gate minutes before closing, flashing the flight attendants an apologetic smile, he breathed out a sigh of relief as he managed to grasp on to a small amount of his dignity in not having to full on pelt it through the airport. Heart rate slowly returning back to an acceptable rate (wow he really needed to get a gym membership or something because his stitch is embarrassing), he makes his way down the plane, his seat right at the back, luckily scoring a window seat. Sometimes the universe isn’t a bitch after all.

Wait no, scratch that. The universe is in fact a huge Regina George level bitch, as sat right next to where Blaine’s seat is, is Sebastian fucking Smythe. Sebastian Smythe… in economy seating? Insanity is taking over, Blaine decided, because that is something he never thought he’d see. Why is he even here in New York? Why is he in economy? Why is he so fucking attractive? Why is he in economy? Ok, so he might be a little too invested in his particular seating arrangement, sue him.

Taking a deep breath, Blaine made his way down the aisle towards Sebastian (and woah getting that imagery out of his head), pulse rising as he sneaks glimpses of the boy through his lashes, taking in his perfectly tousled hair, casual attire, and those damn green eyes which had been the focus of way too many teenaged dreams. Deciding that running into attractive gay guys from high school is apparently now his thing, he approaches his seat and offers a small cough to announce his presence, determinedly trying to stop a blush from rising as he stares down at the former Warbler captain.

Suddenly, green eyes meet his, and he’s back at Dalton again, the sound of Uptown Girl filling his ears as he takes in the stupidly gorgeous freckled face in front of him, which turns bright in recognition, a wide smile breaking on his face.

“Killer… wow, college has done you good then hasn’t it” Sebastian remarks after seconds of them staring dumbly at each other passes, his sentence phrased as a statement not a question, filling Blaine with warmth as the compliment hits his ears, his old nickname making him feel way happier than it should.

“H-hey Sebastian, not doing too bad yourself” he manages to spit out through his stupidly wide grin, rubbing the back of his neck and tugging through the unruly curls, now wishing more than ever he’d put at least a little gel through it, taming down his hobbit hair. He points down at his ticket adorned with his seat number, gesturing to the empty window seat next to Sebastian.

“I’m, uh, I’m in the window so feel free to just move over and I’ll take the middle don’t worry.”

He’s greeted with a heavy eye roll from Sebastian, who plucks his ticket from his hand and places it on the empty seat and jerks his thumb towards it, motioning with his head to sit down.

“Ever the gentleman Anderson, but I’m fine here, take your damn seat before we take off.” A cheeky smirk appears on his mouth as he waggles his eyebrows suggestively “Plus, who am I to turn down a free lap dance as you make your way over.”

Blaine scoffs and mumbles a “fuck off” under his breath as he laughs quietly, Sebastian’s lewd humour clearly not improving much with age. He edges over to his seat, shuffling over the other boy who keeps his hands to himself, but the way his eyes rake over his body doesn’t escape him. Sebastian always makes him feel naked, exposed, but also confident; his brazen appreciation of Blaine’s body making him feel completely stripped back but still craving more. The effect he had on him in high school clearly hasn’t worn off as he feels himself blush slightly, something which only seems to happen around Sebastian, the only person to reduce him to the ‘bashful schoolboy’ persona the other boy had declared as hot.

Settled into his seat, Blaine takes a glimpse over at his neighbour, taking in his dark jeans, soft green jumper and worn in trainers, a casualness which he hadn’t had the privilege of seeing before. In the few years since high school he’d slightly filled out his frame, still tall and slender but more muscle packed on, less lanky than he had been, his face not quite as young. Still undeniably and annoyingly gorgeous, of course.

“Home for Christmas then killer?”. The sudden voice shook him out of his not so subtly staring, dragging his eyes up to Sebastian’s.

“Uh, yeah, staying til after new year’s, nice to get out of the city for a bit, especially take a break from all the college work. Are you, uh, studying in the city? I wasn’t aware you were in New York if I’m honest” he admitted, feeling like his words were flying out his mouth a mile a minute, his old friend constantly making him second guess everything he was saying. He was met with a soft smile, and a gentle nod of the head.

“Yep, I’m at Columbia, studying law just like my dad wanted” he remarked with just a slight hint of bitterness, something Blaine was only able to pick up after so many late night conversations and messages, getting to know the way he guarded himself and any untowardly emotions. “Going into more human rights and away from corporate though so that ought to piss him off a little bit.”

Blaine chuckled softly at that, humming appreciatively and wringing his hands together. Despite what he wanted everyone to believe, Sebastian cared about other people, underneath the layers of snark and snide remarks was someone who liked to be around others. Although his kindness wasn’t always verbal, it was in small details like getting Jeff concert tickets when he failed a class, or buying Thad’s coffees for a month when his parents cut him off for being caught drinking. His relationship with his father was something which when they spoke was often skirted around, Blaine understanding that it was a sensitive topic and one to avoid if he wanted to continue to talk. Occasionally Sebastian would let slip a moment of frustration at his father’s expectations or restrictions but were usually covered up with a sarcastic joke or lewd comment about Blaine’s ass. Not that those weren’t appreciated, but still.

Turning his head back to Sebastian, he offered him a smile and a gentle pat on the arm.

“I bet you’re great at it, you did always love a debate” he chuckled. “I’m at NYU, didn’t realise we were so close to one another.”

“Oh yeah, Jeff mentioned you moved from NYADA, good for you, that school is for pretentious theatre assholes anyway, you’re way better than that Anderson.” Sebastian seemed genuine about that, scoffing when he mentioned NYADA, and giving a sincere look over to Blaine. Honestly, Blaine didn’t even think to consider that Sebastian would still be in regular contact with the Warblers, even though he had been at Dalton with them until the end.

He hadn’t abandoned them like Blaine had.

Shaking that thought out of his head (he was desperately trying to lessen his whole negative thinking), he stared out the window as the plane started its ascent, taking off from the runway. Truthfully, he wasn’t too good for the pretentious theatre assholes at NYADA – even though they definitely were pretentious theatre assholes. He realised after one semester that it just wasn’t for him, the environment wasn’t as academic and structured as he craved, and whilst he thrived off of performing, he also loved the more theoretical and technical elements of music. Plus, the not so secret resentment Kurt had towards him after getting in first try was eating away at him, an inner guilt taking over and self-sabotaging his work. After his second semester he couldn’t take it anymore. The lack of comfort and joy he felt at where he was seeped into his work and everything started to fall apart, including his relationship. He dropped out, which led to the breakup, and moving in with Sam. Ok, getting out of that stupid wall less room of a loft was a relief, as was the split with Kurt after the mourning period of crying and ice cream, but his confidence was still growing back after the disastrous first attempt at college.

One look over at Sebastian, and his stupid green eyes and his gaze drinking him in, and that confidence grew just a little more, as if by some weird rich person osmosis. Wow he needs to spend less time with Sam.

“I don’t know about that, but I’m definitely happy I moved. I don’t know, NYADA just wasn’t for me, and it took a while for me to get my shit together and realise that, but I know I’m better off now.” he exclaimed determinedly, eager to establish himself in front of Sebastian, annoyed at how much he wanted to show him that he was stable and in control of his life.

“How long are you gonna be in Ohio for? You jetting off to Paris anytime soon?”

Sebastian groaned and playfully punched Blaine’s arm, “Ugh, you’re a dick for reminding me on what I’m missing. Nope, in the disgusting US of A all Christmas, my dad wants ‘bonding time’ whatever the shit that means, so I’m not visiting mom in Paris this holiday. Coming back to New York as soon as I can, I literally feel my brain cells depleting when I’m back in Ohio.” He glanced over at Blaine and winked, “It’s basically the public school of America.”

That earned him a swift kick in the shin, the two of them laughing together as if the last few years hadn’t even happened.

“You can’t insult public schools and then sit willingly in economy Smythe, you’re a sitting juxtaposition.”

“I’m a big boy now Anderson, which includes paying for my own plane tickets – and whilst I’m sure I earn way more than you do I prefer to save my money for whiskey and vodka, rather than a little extra leg room.” The retort was quick and playful, accompanied by an over dramatic wiggle of his legs to demonstrate the lack of room for his long limbs, as Blaine tried desperately (and failed) to not stare at his legs too keenly. God, when did he get a leg kink? Nope, that’s way too weird, it must just be a Sebastian kink he decided, as he drank in the tall frame next to him.

“Hey, Nick’s having a few get together over the holidays, you coming?” Blaine asked, realising that he could be seeing a lot more of his friend than he originally thought.

“Yeah Duval’s mentioned a few bits to me, I’ll drop by when I can – haven’t seen the guys in a while. And if we’re gonna be graced by the presence of Blaine Anderson, I’ll definitely have to follow through, couldn’t miss that” he finishes with a wink, causing another damn blush to rise up Blaine’s neck as he ducks his head. “Also, someone has to record Trent’s reaction to seeing you again, I’m betting on immediate collapse with required medical attention.”

Blaine snorts, swatting at the boy next to him, the thought of hanging out with Sebastian making him way more excited than it should. But, now he’s single, why can’t he hang out with him? Kurt hated him speaking to the other boy, constantly bringing him up to throw insults or drag his name through the mud. Right up to the end of their relationship Kurt would seethe at the mention of his name, but then bring him up in arguments, demanding that apparently Blaine wanted to sleep with him or was seeing him behind Kurt’s back – despite the fact that they hadn’t spoken in a year. But now, he had nothing to lose, and a friendship with Sebastian was something within his reach, something which he was allowed to have now after so long of being controlled.

“I hope you do make it; it’ll be nice to see you this break Seb. You can use me to get out of spending time with your dad don’t worry, it’s not like I’ll have much better to do anyway.”

He’s greeted with a smile, and a warmth floods him which he hasn’t felt in a while. “I’m going to take you up on that Anderson, no take backs now alright.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it Smythe, someone has to keep you out of trouble.”

Sebastian smirks at him, and before putting in his earphones gives him a wink, and states, “Oh killer don’t worry, I’ll be putting you into trouble.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please feel free to leave any comments or notes!!  
> im killer-leo on tumblr if you wanna say hi or anything, thats my non social social media x


	3. chapter three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> continued unbelievable fluff and fic stereotypes, complete with awkward feelings and idiot boys.

_“Attention passengers, we are starting our descent into Ohio. Please prepare for landing”_

The flight attendant’s voice rang out through the aircraft, jerking Blaine awake from where he’d apparently dozed off. Gazing down at the green in front of him, and taking in his arm entangled with another, the realization that he’d used Sebastian as a bloody travel pillow set in, his cheek resting against the soft fabric of his jumper and curls nestled against his neck. Feeling a blush creep up his neck he sat up straight, removing his arm from where he’d apparently latched on to his neighbour like a damn octopus in his sleep, ruffling a hand through his hair to sort out whatever birds’ nest lay atop it.

Sebastian yawned next to him, attempting to stretch out his body as best he could cramped into the seats, looking down next to him fondly as he cricked his neck.

“Have a good nap then B? I knew you were too damn cute to snore, lucky me.” He spoke with a fondness in his voice which Blaine knew was reserved for the small, intimate moments between them, chuckling softly and peering up at Sebastian through his lashes, shy about being caught, and his apparent lack of boundaries when it came to being asleep.

“Thanks, sorry, didn’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything… Just didn’t much sleep last night, kinda had a Die Hard marathon at the worst time possible.”

Sebastian nodded appreciatively. “Oh I see you’re a man with taste then, approving of Die Hard being a Christmas movie is one of the laws of my friendship so congratulations, you passed Anderson” he spoke with a goofy false seriousness, bowing his head and clasping his hands together, emitting a laugh from Blaine. That natural, relaxed flow of conversation seemed so easy to slip back in to, talking effortlessly as if they were 16 again, texting about whatever stupid topic came to mind.

The plane finally landed, and they gathered up their things, chatting amicably as they stood up and started to get off the craft. The two fell in sync walking down the aisle (wow he seriously needs to stop with the aisle imagery) and made their way through the airport, laughing and joking around together, with playful nudges and gentle teasing. As they arrived towards the exit, where he knew a car was waiting to take him home, Blaine felt a surge of courage as he turned to look at Sebastian, grabbed his arm and stared up at him.

“I’ve, uh, really enjoyed the last few hours Seb… would you want to get together sometime over the break? We both want to be places other than Ohio, and I could use a good distraction at the minute. Only if you want to though it’s cool if you don’t…” he trailed off, anxiety creeping in as he rambled on a tangent, nervously rubbing his hair and avoiding any eye contact.

“Sure thing killer, I’d love that. Need me to text you my number? I kind of assumed Ladyface would’ve made you block me” he chuckled, taking Blaine’s nervousness in his stride and giving him a lazy grin.

“Don’t worry about it, I still have it saved on my phone. He, uh, took my word we stopped talking and didn’t go full pyscho at least” Blaine awkwardly replied, not wanting to admit he had never allowed Kurt to make him delete it, wanting to still have control over his phone book if not his life. He readjusted his satchel round his shoulder and gave a soft pat on Sebastian’s arm as he saw the car waiting for him outside and turned to walk away.

“I’ll text you then! See you around Sebastian” he called out as he walked away, giving a small wave in goodbye as he looked back at his friend. He took in his relaxed posture and subtle smirk as he left, anticipating bubbling inside as he made his way to the car. Oh, he definitely needs to text Sam about this.

~

Dragging his feet up the steps to the front door, Blaine adjusted his satchel and yanked his suitcase up next to him, before begrudgingly shoving his key into the lock and making his way inside his old home. Feeling rough from his lack of sleep and the overall feel of airport, he yanked his suitcase in the door and took a deep breath in, smelling the familiar scents of his mother’s baking and fragrant candles. He may hate travelling, but he loves being home. 

His parents had tried to insist on collecting him from the airport, but he refused, wanting to just make his own way home and say his hellos from the comfort of his living room. 

“Blaine honey is that you?” a sweet voice called out from the kitchen, a grin escaping from his face as he dumps his luggage off and makes his way over to the source of sound. 

He’s greeted by an immediate hug from his mother, drawing him into her warm embrace as she affectionately scrubs a hand through his curls. 

“Hey mom, missed you so much” he says, muffled through being squished against her shoulder. Dragging himself away and allowing his cheeks to be pinched, he jumps up to sit on the counter, ignoring the swatting of her hand. Furniture was made to be sat on anyway. 

He feels his phone vibrate in his pocket as he gets reacquainted with his mom, exchanging smiles and chatting away. 

**from Sebastian**

hey killer, you get home safe?

Grinning at the message, pleased the other boy had the guts to text first as Blaine was way too nervous about being seen as clingy (thanks Kurt) or too obsessed. 

**from Blaine**

somehow made it without being brutally murdered, it’s an Ohio miracle 

**from Sebastian**

oh good, wouldn’t want any of your assets to go to waste now would we ;) 

Blaine choked down a laugh at that, typing a quick ‘fuck off’ back and pocketing his phone again, desperately failing to conceal the grin on his face. He looked up at his mom, her eyebrow raised, and hip cocked at her son. 

“Something interesting hun? Or… someone?” Pam suggested, winking at her son as she moves around the kitchen, bustling with pots and pans. Blaine groaned and rolled his eyes, jumping off the counter and picking up a cookie fresh out the oven, softly blowing on it before shoving the whole thing in rather ungracefully. He had definitely been spending too much time around Sam.

“No mom, leave it. Just meeting up with some old Dalton friends soon that’s all” he mumbled around a mouthful of warm cookie. Classy. He scoffed at his mom’s suggestive look and kissed her on the cheek before heading upstairs to his room, yanking up his suitcase with him to at least try and unpack, even if he knew he’d give up halfway through and just put on some tv. It’s been a long day, sue him.

Arriving in his childhood bedroom and collapsing on the bed, Blaine looked around, taking in all the visceral reminders of his former years. Luckily, all pictures with Kurt had gone, but the empty spaces glare at him, reminding him how much of his life he had given to that boy, the blankness of his room just showing his current loneliness. Great. Pulling his phone out his pocket, he flicked through his various messages – Sam had enthusiastically replied to his detailed recount of his Sebastian interaction with a text way too long, full of “dude” and “bro he’s hot and probably less evil now”. He chuckled down at his phone, missing his best friend already – his other half who consistently puts a smile on his face and snaps him out of whatever dumb mood he’s in. He glances over at a text from Nick, asking him if he’s free at the weekend for a chill night at his with the Warbler boys, which had gone without a reply out of Blaine’s underlying anxieties.

Yes, he missed his old classmates constantly, but the fear of them resenting him after he switched schools, as well as the exposition of the steroids scandal, built up a solid wall around him and gave him endless doubts about seeing them. Texting dumb things his college mates have said, and cryptic emoji chains is one thing, but face to face is a whole other level. The enthusiasm which Nick had messaged him with had given him hope however, as well as another text from Trent asking if he was going – Sebastian would love that. And damn, when did he started caring about what Sebastian thought? Shaking his head, he texted out a quick confirmation to Nick, solidifying his attendance. As he laid back on his bed and grabbed his laptop, preparing to sink into some comfort tv, his phone flashed again, this time another text from Sebastian.

**from Sebastian**

Anderson, what you doing tomorrow?

**from Sebastian**

and before you make up some lame excuse – watching Star Wars alone does not count as being busy.

**from Blaine**

watching Star Wars always counts as being busy thank you very much Smythe

**from Blaine**

and no, I don’t have plans anyway – my parents are both still working for a few days and Cooper isn’t arriving for a bit. He tends to just show up when he shows up

**from Sebastian**

oh great, two Anderson brothers. think I had a dream about that once - no I definitely had a dream about that… no clothes were involved. ;)

**from Blaine**

shut up, were you gonna suggest something or just make me want to bleach my eyes out?

**from Sebastian**

kidding B, you know you’re the only Anderson for me <3

Blaine had forgotten how much Sebastian loved weird old school emojis, he was like a 60 year old white woman when it came to his phone (apart from his use of the eggplant and peach, apparently the only actual emojis he deemed worthy of his time. Go figure).

**from Sebastian**

and yes, I was going to suggest something before I was so rudely distracted by my imagination. you wanna grab a coffee tomorrow, lima bean? my dad’s new girlfriend is over and I want to prolong my inevitable suicide as much as possible by staying out the house, away from the disgusting white people suburban dream playhouse which is going on over here. it’s so heterosexual my eyes hurt B

His melodramatic complaining prompted a laugh from Blaine, knowing how much of a drama queen Sebastian could be, but also knowing that underneath the snark was a real desperation to stay out of his house, the paternal relationship pretty fragile.

**from Blaine**

I suppose I could spare a few hours of my day to help keep you alive, 11am?

**from Sebastian**

perfect. first drink on me killer, see you then x

Something as small as a ‘x’ at the end of the text really shouldn’t make Blaine’s heart flutter the way it did, but what can he say, he’s a hopeless romantic. Trying to dash any amorous thoughts out his head, he sat on his bed fingers ghosting over his phone, internally convincing himself that it was simply a platonic coffee and chat, and feelings are bad and dumb and wrong. Eloquently put. Clicking on a random episode of Avatar the Last Airbender (confirmed not a shitty show, just a comforting one) and shifting a hand through his curls, Blaine relaxed into his bed, thoughts of green eyes and freckled skin floating round his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoy! writing is hard lol  
> im killer-leo on tumblr if you wanna say hi or anything, thats my non social social media


	4. chapter four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lima bean realness, bringing back a classic  
> ft shitty coffee and subtle flirting

_Does it smell like a school gymnasium in here?_

Mitski sounded through the speakers of the Lima Bean, the song flooding Blaine’s ears as he stepped into the café, the smell of roasted coffee and slightly stale pastries hitting him in the face, filling him with familiar memories of days gone by. Nervously adjusting his dark bowtie, he scanned the room for a sign of the taller boy, 11am on the dot. Getting dressed had been a slightly taxing affair, Blaine being apparently reduced to a 14 year old boy when standing in front of his clothes and deciding he had absolutely nothing to wear. It was ridiculous really – he had seen Sebastian literally the day before, with no gel, old clothes, and eye bags so big he’d thought he was transforming into a racoon. But this, this was deliberate, a conscious meeting which meant that he had to try and had to present the best version of himself. He’d decided on a rich green polo, black chinos, and a dark patterned bow tie – a little more sedated than what he would usually wear but not only was he definitely _not_ trying to peacock, the middle of bumfuck Ohio is a little more conservative than New York. 

Eyes drifting over the tables by the window, he glimpses the back of Sebastian’s head, his frame just a little taller than other’s in the room, hair still perfectly styled from the back, the top of a pale t-shirt visible above the chair. Blaine makes his way over, planting himself down in the chair opposite Sebastian, a coffee already in on the table in front of him. 

“Hey killer”, announced the taller boy, eyes grazing down Blaine’s form appreciatively, the hunger in his gaze noticed by Blaine, as he returns the smile given to him. “Picked you up a drink as promised, although given where we are it may or may not be poisonous, you’ve been warned.”

Taking a deep sip, Blaine noticed it was his drink of choice since high school, what he used to order the few times he’d grabbed coffee with Sebastian – medium drip with a dash of cinnamon, something which he obviously had been teased for. The thought of his coffee order being remembered made a slight blush creep up his neck, stupid Sebastian and his stupid memory. 

“thanks, I’m sure it won’t kill me don’t worry, although I don’t know if I’d risk any of the pastries, I don’t have a death wish” he replied with a smirk after finishing his sip, the warmth flooding him not just coming from the coffee. He took in Sebastian’s relaxed appearance – seeing him out of the Dalton uniform still seemed a little odd, the blue and red blazer which suited him perfectly, extending his shoulders and giving him a class and grace, which was often both amplified and contrasted by whatever came out of his mouth. Sebastian was one of those people who looked as if they belonged in a suit; a tailored, slim, expensive ensemble fitting him like an exoskeleton. However, seeing him now in a t-shirt and jeans (which no doubt were still ridiculously expensive and meticulously selected) softened him, and made him even more attractive to Blaine. Fucking great, exactly what we wanted. A constant repetition of the fact that Sebastian doesn’t do boyfriends or monogamy circles through his head, trying to drag him out of the stupid crush he’s fallen back into, but a much more dangerous one than he used to have – this time he was available. 

“So, I hate to ask, but I can’t help but notice a lack of a ring on your finger and a lack of a gay parasite by your side. Also, the fact that you actually agreed to come and see me which seems very unlikely if Hummel was still around.” He said it rather bluntly, but his eyes remained kind, and Blaine knew he was asking because his curiosity got the better of him, not because he wanted to be harsh. 

“Yeah, that ended a few months ago. Cutting a long and painful story short, we called off the engagement a few months into my first year at NYADA, deciding that planning a wedding and being at college was just too much, and the arguments were building too soon and too fast. We got back together again a while after, but we called it off properly around 4 months ago, before I started at NYU. He got distant again, just like my senior year, but held so much resentment at me for getting into NYADA first time and especially when I wasn’t enjoying it. He just, couldn’t seem to be happy for me, and I couldn’t see how miserable I was becoming.” He took a deep breath, grabbing another sip of coffee and avoiding. Sebastian’s eyes. Pity was something he didn’t need right now, and the discussion of his failed engagement was embarrassing enough as is. “We argued constantly and living in a loft with no walls didn’t really help much. In the end, a big fight became our last fight, and I left and moved in with Sam.”

To his credit, Sebastian wasn’t looking at Blaine as if he was pathetic, just focusing his gaze on him in that way which makes him feel exposed, stripped down to his core, and truly being seen, not just noticed. 

“Sam, that’s the hot blond frat boy, right?” he asks, after a moments silence. 

“Yep, my best friend, he’s been super helpful the last year, just being there and being a distraction for me, don’t think I could’ve done it without him” Blaine admitted, playing with the hem of his polo, aware of the vulnerability of the conversation. Sebastian must’ve noticed the shift in his voice, and his unintentional shrinking in on himself, as he ran his hands down his t-shirt and looked back up at Blaine. 

“Well, you can do better than Hummel, and you deserve better than him. You have more talent in your pinkie finger than the rest of the New Directions put together so who cares if some prissy musical theatre school isn’t what’s best for you? You’re gonna do well whatever you do Blaine, so don’t sell yourself short.” The sudden seriousness of his statement, along with the use of his actual first name shook Blaine out of his shell, the proclamation just given to him without a moment of hesitancy and doubt.   
“Besides, now you live with a hot stripper who you can talk about lame nerd shit with, so you’re basically living the dream, killer” Sebastian finishes, swerving the conversation away from the serious tone it had so easily adopted, instead offering him a wink and goofy eyebrow wiggle, emitting a laugh in response from Blaine. 

“Anyway, apart from missing your dudebro back in New York, what you doing over the break anyway?” Sebastian asks, tilting his head in questioning and taking a long drink from his own coffee in front of him.

“Not much really, seeing some of the Warblers this weekend I know, and Coop will be back next week which should provide some entertainment” he explains, looking forward to seeing his brother but also dreading all the bloody pointing he’d be subjected to. Suddenly, he groans and remembers the New Directions reunion he promised Rachel he’d attend in a sleep deprived moment of weakness the previous night. “I have a, uh, glee club reunion at some point, with people from McKinley, which should be…fun”. He trailed off, not wanting to sound miserable at the prospect of seeing his old friends but also aware the night would be messy, awkward, and probably very over dramatic. 

“Oh fun, I bet your little incestuous group really goes all out on melodramatic karaoke and weird little drinking games that 15 year old girls get off from” Sebastian snorts, leaning back gracefully in his chair. “Bet your Betty White looking ex is gonna make that fun, you can, uh, always text me if you need a quick escape though”, he added, playing with the hem of his t-shirt in a way that looked suspiciously shy. “Or just get Lopez to beat him up, I bet Shaqueera has a good swing on her.” The old familiarity of the insults made Blaine chuckle, knowing that Sebastian and Santana had a weird respect for each other that made them acquaintances and not rivals, both frighteningly sharp with a fiercely protective interior. 

The easy conversation flowed between them, effortless as Sebastian offered countless innuendos as Blaine bashfully batted them away, the two comparing Dalton stories of their different times at the school. Well, Blaine told stories of Dalton and Sebastian told instances of other Warblers “fucking up tremendously”, and their “general idiocy”. He cared really. 

Glancing at his watch, Blaine realised the two had been chatting for hours, drinking several coffees each, faces sore from laughing and smiling together. 

“It’s been so great to catch up Seb, honestly it has. I probably should be going though, I haven’t seen my dad since I’ve gotten back from New York and I know my mum wants us to have dinner together tonight, nice suburban fantasy and all that” he chuckled, adjusting his polo as he stood from his chair. Leaving seemed wrong, and talking to Sebastian seemed right, but his duty as youngest son called and that meant family roast dinner rather than trying to suppress a crush on the hot guy in front of him. 

“No worries killer, I’ve escaped a few hours away from home at least so that’s something. You’re going to Nick’s at the weekend, right?” Sebastian replied, following Blaine’s lead in standing up, silently collecting their used cups and taking them over to the counter as they headed towards the door. The two make their way through the half full café, Sebastian’s hand finding the small of Blaine’s back to guide him onwards, just that slightest touch sending sparks down his spine, as he resisted the urge to lean back onto his hand. As they walk into the car park, Blaine wraps his arms around his waist, and turns to look at the taller boy. 

“Yeah, should be nice to see the guys, I’ve missed them” he admits, head down in the cold and wishing he had worn something a little warmer now the day heads into late afternoon. They reach his car, and he looks up at Sebastian, who is gazing down at him fondly. Next to him, he feels small, and almost powerless, the magnetism of the taller boy drawing him in as if there’s nothing he could do to resist. He’s received with a small smile, and a light touch on the arm as Sebastian leans closer, tucking a loose curl behind Blaine’s ear, that simple intimacy making his knees weak and arousal pool in his lower stomach. God he needs to get laid. 

“Good. I’ll see you then killer.” he murmurs, simple and soft as he tucks his hands back in his pockets, seeming casual and relaxed compared to Blaine’s internal panic and mind meltdown at just the slightest of touches. He manages to squeak out an “o-ok!” before he turns to get into his car, watching the tall frame of Sebastian saunter away to his own vehicle, which wow ok makes his car look like a pile of shit. He groans, and rests his head on the steering wheel, hands tearing through his hair. It’s official, he has a huge, unavoidable crush on Sebastian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed!! thank you for reading :)  
> im killer-leo on tumblr if you wanna say hi or anything, thats my non social social media


	5. chapter five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the warblers are here and they're in love with blaine. duh

“Blaine honey? You up?” 

The light voice cuts through the morning of his bedroom, face shoved against a pillow and body aggressively cuddling his duvet within an inch of its’ life. Blaine emits a loud groan, some attempt at words forming in his throat in response to his mom but failing miserably. He hears a chuckle from outside, and a quiet tutting answering his very sophisticated grumbling.

“I’ll take that as a maybe, just don’t want you sleeping in too late sweetie, it’s basically the afternoon already you know”. 

The sound of footsteps leaving the outside of his door and the soft whistling following his mother’s departure wakes him up further, groggily sitting up from bed and scrunching his fingers onto his eye lids, attempting to wake up his face and body despite all the protests his brain is giving him. God, he hadn’t slept like that in ages. Used to restless nights, plagued by coursework and anxious thoughts, he had gotten used to forgoing a decent sleep and instead lying awake in his crummy apartment. Being away from the city helped him, although he loved New York with all his heart, it made him aware of the recent failures in his life, the distance from it making him calm, and more focused. After meeting with Sebastian, things had slowly become more settled, his presence being something both familiar but also new, showing him a version of himself which hadn’t come out in so long, and allowing him to look back at what was once forbidden. 

Pulling himself out of bed, Blaine glimpsed the flash of blue and red in his wardrobe, his old uniform tucked away in secret, something he’d never been able to bring himself to say goodbye to. At Dalton he was confident, a leader, safe amongst his peers and just able to be the best version of himself. He couldn’t throw away the one reminder he had of that person, although he also could never bring himself to try it back on, for fear of never being able to take it back off again. Kurt hadn’t understood – to him Dalton was a stop off point, a place to regroup and recover, but never somewhere to stay. Blaine never held that against him – the experiences which he went through were not to be wished on anyone, he just wished that sometimes Kurt would’ve taken the time to understand how much Dalton meant to him. More than once he had found himself fantasising about what would’ve happened if he had stayed, how differently his life would’ve been. Often, his thoughts drifted to Sebastian, what they could’ve been. He never allowed himself to push further, not daring to imagine the other boy at anything closer than arm’s length, the guilt encompassing him at just the thought. Still, now it was different…

Except it wasn’t. He knew Sebastian, and he knows he doesn’t do monogamy, doesn’t do relationships, the idea of a boyfriend making him dramatically dry heave and mime a gory death. He really is a drama queen. Shaking thoughts of Sebastian out of his head, Blaine wandered over to the bathroom, splashing his face to wake him up and get him out his funk. Absentmindedly, he plays with a loose curl behind his ear, the same one which was so delicately brushed by Sebastian’s hand, in the most intimate of gestures. Maybe he’d loosen up on the gel today, he thought. Not forego it completely - he hasn’t lost his fucking mind, just not quite the gel helmet (the phrase Sam and Tina both use to tease him, fake friends) he’s used to. Raking his fingers through the mop, staring at his reflection in the mirror, he thinks, maybe he should be who he wants to be for a change. 

~

Softly whistling under his breath, Blaine makes his way towards the door, patting his pockets for keys and phone, grabbing a light jacket. 

“Hey mom? I’m just going out to Nick’s now, for that Warbler thing I mentioned? Not sure when I’ll be back so don’t wait up” he yells back into the house, where his mom sits in her usual position of watching the Real Housewives, as per her 8pm tradition. You can’t say Pam Anderson isn’t structured. 

He receives a shout of “stay safe I love you pumpkin” back, grumbling at the nickname but secretly loving it; he wouldn’t say he’s a mommy’s boy but there’s nothing wrong with being close with the woman who literally gave you your life he argues. Making his way outside to his car, he goes to double check Nick’s address on his phone to avoid turning up at the wrong house like he did in sophomore year, arriving way too excitedly at what he thought was Wes’s home, but was an elderly couple who did not take kindly to him or his enthusiasm. Whoops. Looking over the text with the details one last time, he noticed a message from Rachel from earlier in the day which had gone unread. Huh, must be party details he figured. 

**from Rachel**  
Blaine Warbler. I saw you at the Lima Bean with Sebastian Smythe, are you ok? Were you kidnapped against your will? You know better than that Blaine, he’s bad news ok.

 **from Rachel**  
Don’t you dare ignore me Blaine Warbler, I don’t think you should mix yourself up with him. Ok love you xoxo

Great. Now he was being followed by Rachel Berry, aka a living nightmare. He liked Rachel, they got on well but oh my Christ was she _intense_ , taking everything way too personally and way too passionately, including his life apparently. Who was she to say stay away from Sebastian? She didn’t even know him – she barely knew his 17 year old self, who admittedly was a bit of an asshole but still. Well aware that this news would now be circulating the New Directions gossip circle, someone no doubt spinning it until it said Sebastian and Blaine were bare backing in the middle of the Lima Bean (probably Santana, she liked both of them but also liked stirring the pot), he groaned and fired off a quick reply before getting into his car.

 **from Blaine**  
Rachel, I love you, but don’t be insane. We just grabbed coffee, catching up after running in to one another. He’s a nice guy, and a nice reminder of the warblers. Please don’t make this into something bigger than it is? xoxo

Satisfied his response won’t make anything worse (although not confident it’ll actually make anything better) he starts his car, beginning his journey over to Nick’s, determined to put thoughts of McKinley gossip (and him and Sebastian bare backing in the middle of the Lima Bean) out of his mind.

~

Pulling up outside the house, he cuts the engine and deeply breathes, trying to calm down any nerves. It was stupid, he knew it was – these were are his friends, goofy, cheerful guys who love to piss about and have fun, not exactly the people who are gonna hold a grudge on him transferring schools and stopping their illegal drug use. They’d spoken about that anyway – Sebastian had texted him after the scandal, saying he didn’t take the steroids, but he was equally guilty as he didn’t stop the others, didn’t stand up to Hunter as he should’ve. His other friends had flooded his phone with apologies, each one as sincere as the last, and he knew it was desperation and moment of weakness under Clarington’s dictator like rage which made them succumb (or maybe his creepy ass cat was telepathic or something), but water was under the bridge after a period of recuperation. His interior rambling helping to calm his nerves, he shook himself out and hopped out the car, up to the door where he could hear music and signing, and various expletives being yelled already – Nick’s parents always had nice expensive alcohol which ended up causing way more harm than good. Knocking sharply on the door, he pulled on his looser curls self-consciously, in the moment using only a tiny bit to restrain his hair seemed like a good move but now, standing in front of the door, he felt like Frodo fucking Baggins walking into Mount Doom - and he wonders why he’s single when he thinks stuff like that? Suddenly the door swings open and a slightly tipsy but very excited Nick Duval stands at the door like a Labrador who got into his owner’s cocaine supply. 

“BLAINE IS HERE. I REPEAT. BLAINE FUCKING ANDERSON IS AT MY DOOR YOU GUYS”.

And yep, Blaine is pretty sure that he is now deaf, but he can’t help the grin that spreads over his face, any anxieties dissolving as he is tackled into a hug, completely enveloped by his over excited friend. 

“Come on come on get inside man! Everyone’s been waiting for you! Especially Smythe but don’t tell him I said that, or he’ll probably curse my first born or whatever” Nick rambles on, dragging Blaine forwards into the house, closer to the loud nexus of noise erupting from the main room. As they enter everyone turns to see him, Blaine clearly the last to arrive after his Rachel distraction, and then yep he is now 100% deaf, taken aback by the explosion of noise as his old friends rush forwards to greet him, finding himself being pulled into hugs from all directions, hair ruffled and arms punched in a totally bro way. After the initial excitement things calm down, Blaine managing to give individual greetings and hugs, trying desperately to not let his eyes try and pick out Sebastian. It wasn’t a large gathering, mainly his close friends like Jeff, Thad, David, Trent, Meatbox and Wes, along with around 10 others, some of which he didn’t recognise as much, but he was at McKinley for his junior and senior year so wasn’t surprised to see new faces. Slapping Meatbox on the back and receiving the beer that was shoved into his hand by his friend he chuckled warmly, happy to be back in his old environment. 

“Hey Nick, I drove here so just the one beer for me yeah” he called out, lifting his bottle to accentuate his statement. 

“Fuck off Anderson, just stay over and have fun, it’s not like you have anywhere else to be alright?”. Blaine racks his brain for a few reasons to say no, but he comes up short, realising that fuck it, why not? He nods in agreement and makes his way over the some of the guys at the side of the room he doesn’t recognise – he should live up to his title of Dalton legend and be nice of course. 

“Hey what the fuck was all the racket about, I go on a smoke break for 2 bloody minutes and…”  
The voice cut through the room, trailing off as Sebastian took in Blaine in front of him. Their eyes met, Blaine feeling a jolt of adrenaline go through him when he made eye contact, the end of Sebastian’s sentence gone unsaid as he saw the reason for the commotion. Both faces cracked into smiles as they saw each other, Blaine fighting off that damn blush again as he abandoned his plans to make new friends and instead talk to the guy he was crushing on. Smart move Anderson. 

“Always the one to make an entrance aren’t you killer, I thought someone had dared to upset Billy Joel in front of Duval or something with that reaction” Sebastian grins, giving an accompanying wink as he greets him, brushing off whatever Jeff had started to say to him. Before Blaine could think of a half witty reply to retort with, he found himself being pulled into a hug by the taller boy, long limbs wrapping around his shoulders as his head found itself nestled under Sebastian’s, completely engulfed with the scent of expensive, musky cologne, soft cotton laundry detergent and a faint waft of cigarette smoke. Blaine felt as if he was drowning, flooded with this cacophony of euphoria his senses completely overwhelmed, his body finally regaining consciousness and wrapping his arms around the other’s waist, squeezing tightly in reciprocation. All too soon he found himself pulling away, the two separating from their embrace, Sebastian’s slightly flushed cheeks and lopsided smile betraying any sense of sobriety he might have pretended to have.

“H-hey”, Blaine whispered, all too aware of the eyes on them in the room, their sudden closeness (in friendship and proximity) not going unnoticed by the other Warblers. 

“Hey”, Sebastian replied, a more confident smirk on his face, as he moved away from Blaine to grab his half empty glass on the nearby table, an amber liquid which was definitely way classier than the frat boy beer Meatbox had shoved at him. 

“You want me to grab you a grown up drink if you’re gonna stay B?”.

“Uh, yeah sure, get whatever you want, I trust it won’t be too shit” Blaine managed to reply, still slightly taken aback by their hug. A damn _hug_. God if that is what _hugging_ Sebastian is like no wonder everyone wants to fuck him he thinks, before trying to get that image out his head because no thank you uncomfortable semi in public. He receives a slight nod of the head and single eyebrow raise in return, then is left alone with Jeff, who has a shit eating grin on his face after watching their interaction.

“Don’t say anything Sterling keep your thoughts to yourself” he warns at his blond friend, who chuckles and drags Blaine over to the rest of the guys who are sat exchanging old stories or softly singing along to whatever playlist Nick has going on. 

“Oh Blaine just in time, we were gonna tell Max and Joe about the Gap Atta- “

“Don’t you fucking dare Duval, or I’ll tell all these newbies about what you did when you ate all those edibles at the NYE party of 2010” Blaine blurts out, he does not want that Gap story going round thank you very much. His threat seems to shut up Nick however, and it spurs on Thad to tell a story about another edible induced fuck up committed by a warbler. 

A warm presence graces his side as he chuckles along to his old friends yelling and progressively threatening to expose more and more dirt as they get deeper into their drinks. That familiar scent wafts over as he knows it’s Sebastian sat next to him, thighs pressed together closely, even though they both know there’s room enough for them not to touch. 

“Here, got you a drink” Sebastian murmurs next to him, pressing a cool glass into his hand, filled with a similar coloured liquid to his own glass. Blaine was 20, he knew whisky when he saw it, but the burn down his throat still made him cough a little when he swallowed, eliciting a light snicker from the boy next to him.

“Easy killer, don’t want to get ahead of yourself”. Darkened green eyes meet his, and he’s suddenly very aware of how close they are, limbs pressed tightly together, he can feel Sebastian’s breath tickling his skin, and the flecks of gold decorating his iris’. If he leant forwards, _just a little…_

“Blaine! Bro what was the worst warbler performance of all time? And yes there is an objective answer”. Meatbox’s voice cut through the air, jerking Blaine away from his obsessive staring at Sebastian, who coolly leant back against the sofa, eyes now looking straight forward.

“Uhhh, I know what you want me to say so it’s not a great question man” Blaine groans, flipping off his friends who are cackling away – clearly outing all your ex classmates for doping isn’t enough to get them off your back about picking a dumb song for regionals.

“I love you Blaine, but Candles sucked ass, you know that right?” Jeff laughed, high fiving Nick beside him, the two starting to dramatically rein act the performance, to the great entertainment of the room. Even Sebastian chuckled, clearly having been previously filled in on that train wreck of a decision. 

“Trust me I know what a mistake that all was, please don’t me relive any of it” he pleaded, throwing a way too expensive throw cushion at Nick and Jeff’s direction, who had descended into full on faux making out. Probably just an excuse to feel each other up knowing their unresolved sexual tension. 

Throwing back his drink finishing his glass, he ignored the raised eyebrow Sebastian offered him, deciding he didn’t want any judgement on his drinking thank you very much – reliving Candles deserved him another glass anyway. Jumping up, he made his way into the kitchen, cursing his ridiculously low alcohol tolerance level as he felt a slight sway in his step. He located the bottle Sebastian had been using and poured out another glass, as he heard a deafening cry of “KARAOKE” from the other room and laughed to himself as he prepared for the absolute mess that would follow. Taking a small sip, he turned to see a shy smile looking at him – Joe was it? One of the members who joined the Warblers when he was at McKinley, now at Ohio State University if his memory served correctly. 

“Uh, hey Blaine, I don’t know if you know me, we’ve never really had the chance to chat”, he announced shyly, rubbing the back of his neck and peering up at Blaine through his lashes. Huh, he was pretty cute thought Blaine, taking another long sip from his drink as he offered a smile. 

“I just wanted to say, you’re a bit of a legend around Dalton, and I’ve seen a lot of your performance videos. Your voice is insane, and you’re such a great performer, and, uh, just wanted you to know.”

Blaine looked at the boy in front of him, his words shy but his body edging forwards slightly with each sentence, clearly with a bit of liquid courage, light auburn hair illuminating in the warm kitchen lights, and soft blue eyes staring earnestly up at his.

“Thanks Joe, I remember seeing you around” he replied, aware of the decreasing distance between the two of them as he smiled sweetly. He was attractive, sure, but not what Blaine was looking for right now. Joe looked as if he was going to edge closer still, mouth opening to say something, but suddenly closed it and stepped back hurriedly. Blaine furrowed his brow, confused until he felt a tall body press against his, an arm wrapping around his side.   
“Beat it Weasley, go sing a song about fucking leprechauns or whatever gingers do”. 

Blaine sighed, hearing the snide tone in the voice beside him, not able to offer an apology to Joe before he scampered off to the living room to where the other boys were obnoxiously singing along to Super Bass. Alone in the kitchen he turned to face Sebastian, the arm around his waist lingering so they were pressed closely together.

“What was that, Sebastian? He was just being nice, you didn’t need to be such an asshole” Blaine sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. He didn’t understand where the taller boy’s outburst came from, why did he care?

Sebastian scoffed, and leaned back against the counter. “Don’t be so naïve Anderson, that boy was basically creaming in his pants, he was like Trent after popping a Viagra the way he was lusting after you. I did you a favour alright?”

“That’s not your decision to make Seb! It was just friendly ok you don’t need to ride in like a white knight, why do you even care huh?” he demanded, jabbing a finger into Sebastian’s chest, his glasses of whisky heating up his face along with his annoyance, determinedly not letting himself get distracted by the freckles patterned across his nose, and along his cheekbones, and tracing up his collarbone… No, nope, not getting distracted. He sighs and pushes off from leaning against the counter raking a hand through his curls, fixed under Sebastian’s intense gaze.

“Look, sorry Blaine… I just, I didn’t like the way he was looking at you ok? Like you were some prize to be won, some trophy to be collected. S-some Dalton legend he could tick off his list and get your autograph after blowing you or whatever” Sebastian burst out with, shoving himself off the surface to stand directly in front of Blaine, breathing heavily against one another. Blaine’s eyes widened, trembling slightly under the intensity of his words and eyes. 

“I’m sorry”, the taller boy murmured, bringing up a hand to gently stroke across Blaine’s cheekbone, his touch so light it barely made contact, yet sending jolts of electricity down his body, lighting up his nerves, making his eyelashes flutter as he gently gives in to his urge to lean into the touch. For a second, it’s just the two of them, no one else in the world to worry about, no other cares or responsibilities, just green eyes gazing into honey ones. But as Blaine’s come to learn, the universe isn’t that kind.

“Yo Blaine! Jeff let me pick a Katy Perry song you gotta come sing it with me man! Glory days of the Dalton boys!”

Nick’s voice tore their gazes away from each other, Sebastian dropping his hand, and using it to grab a drink from the side, making his way into the living room as if their interaction never happened. Taking a deep breath to realign himself, and gather up the strength to move his legs, Blaine shakily moved from leaning against the side, downed his drink and made his way into the room with the rest of the boys, swaying slightly from the booze and lifting his arms in a cheer when he grabbed the second microphone and made his way onto the stage. There’s no sexual tension that whiskey and Katy Perry can’t fix after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoy!! feel free to leave comments x  
> im killer-leo on tumblr if you wanna say hi or anything, thats my non social social media


	6. chapter six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i said cooper anderson rights!  
> sorry each chapter just gets longer and longer, but enjoy some anderson family and fluff

Ok so it turns out whiskey and Katy Perry don’t in fact solve your problems, but they definitely give you new ones in the form of a raging headache. Blaine groaned as he sat up, decidedly a lot less rested than when he woke up the previous morning, his body draped on top of a sofa, lazily spooning a couch cushion. Classy as ever. Taking in his surroundings, there were a few other bodies in the room across different items of furniture, some boys making their way home the previous night, others deciding to crash. After several rounds of particularly painstaking karaoke – honestly who decided that was a good idea? – the night had died down, people retreating to the positions they would later find themselves passed out in. Scratching his head, Blaine recalled Sebastian leaving in the early hours of the morning, after not going near him again after their kitchen encounter, keeping his distance and his voice down. That whole deal still left him confused, Sebastian’s strange outburst and tender touch pretty out of character for him, or the version of him that Blaine had come to know anyway. He was still so guarded that sometimes he wondered if he even really knew the taller boy at all. 

Rolling off the sofa in a _very_ dignified way, Blaine yawned and made his way to the kitchen to grab a glass of water before heading off back home – he needed a shower and change of clothes stat. There was a suspicious stain on his shirt that honestly, he didn’t want to remember. Pouring himself a drink, he noticed Nick and Jeff sneak down the stairs together in the corner of his vision. Quirking an eyebrow, he kept his head down and pretended he didn’t see – honestly although the joke material would be limitless, the two of them needed as much freedom to pull their heads out their asses as possible. Quickly checking his phone, and noting it was approaching midday, he downed the rest of his water and located his shoes and jacket, shoving on his attire before making his way over to Nick. 

“Hey man, thanks so much for last night. Honestly was great to hang with you all again, I really needed that” he said earnestly, clasping his friends shoulder with his hand. “If you wanna meet up again just lemme know, we gotta do this more.” Blaine smiled, and pulled him in for a quick hug, grabbing his keys from where they’d been not so lovingly tossed on the floor. 

“Don’t worry about it, the Warblers need Blaine Anderson like a fish needs water you know that. And, uh, what’s up with you and Smythe…?” Nick replied, trailing off the end of his sentence suggestively, raising an eyebrow and fixing him with an inquisitive look. Blaine sighed heavily and just shook his head, shoving his keys into his jacket.

“I’m not sure… I thought we were getting close but last night he pulled back pretty hard. Sebastian’s always been a hard one to read though, so I guess we’ll see”, he stated with a shrug, before heading over to the front door.

“See you around Nick”. Blaine called back as he left, wincing at the sun outside as he strolled over to his car just outside the house. Sliding in, he sat behind the wheel for a moment, trying to make sense of some of the events of the night before, and trying to ignore the creeping warmth that travelled up his chest whenever he thought of Sebastian’s hand against his cheek. He dreaded to think that if a light touch of his face sends his brain into overdrive, what would something else do? God, he’s screwed.   
~

A few days had passed since the party, Blaine spending the time to sort through the excessive amount of clothes he brought with him – even though he’d be packing it up in less than two weeks – and catch up on all the TV he missed whilst cramming his coursework. He and Sam managed to chat every day, swapping daily run downs of what was happening in their respective houses in between discussing the Clone Wars. Honestly, what would he do without him?

Tina had landed in Ohio the day before, too busy with her family to meet up but calling him the second she got home anyway;

_“Blainey Days, you come back from New York for one minute and you’re hanging out with Evil Warbler? Living in the big city is severely damaging your brain I’m sure of it”_

“Love you too Tina. And don’t call him ‘Evil Warbler’ we’re not in high school anymore, people are capable of having more than one personality trait you know”

_“You’re too nice B, I just don’t want you getting hurt, and I don’t trust him!”_

“Oh god you sound like Rachel now – look, T, we got coffee once, and then saw each other at a Warbler get together and that’s it, I don’t get why everyone is making such a huge deal of this? I am allowed to speak to people you know.”

_“Blaine of course you are sweetie, you know I just worry. And if it’s to get back at Kurt…”_

“What? No, not everything is about Kurt, Jesus. I can do what I want without having weird ulterior motives you know.”

_“I know Blainey Days I know. Sorry to get intense, I just miss my little hobbit. Look, I gotta run, but I’ll catch you soon?”_

“Sure TT, love you”

_“Love you too B”_

Throwing his phone against the bed Blaine groaned, cursing his damn life as apparently he was the subject of gossip and obsession by two brunette powerhouses. At least with Tina they were somewhat on the same page, and he knew she loved him. Pulling on an old hoodie before traipsing down the stairs, Blaine made his way towards the kitchen to caffeinate himself in preparation for another day of doing fuck all and enjoying actual home cooked food.

A sharp rap at the door made him stop on his way however, confused as to who would be visiting now when both his parents were out – book club and golf respectively. The Anderson’s were nothing if not middle class after all. 

Dragging his feet along the hallway and heavily wishing he was wearing something other than sweats and a hoodie, Blaine opened his front door, revealing a beaming Sebastian, hands shoved in his jean pockets and hair windswept across his face. Fuck. He looked goddamn breath-taking. 

“Hey killer, mind if I come in? Freezing my dick off out here” he exclaimed, before making his way into the house past Blaine, who’s mouth had seemingly become stuck in an adorable ‘o’ shape. “God I’m happy your parents didn’t answer the door, I’m charming with middle aged people but I’d much rather just speak to you” he finished with a wink, leaning against the wall staring expectantly at Blaine who was still in the same position he was after opening the door. 

“Earth to B? You’re not having a stroke are you cos I have no idea how to deal with that, I’m sexy not a medic”. Blaine finally shook himself out of his confusion and turned around, closing the door as he turned. He fixed Sebastian with an inquisitive stare, wrapping his arms around his midsection and nervously fingering the sides of his hoodie. Yep, definitely regretting his attire.

“Sorry, uh, what are you doing here Sebastian? And how did you even know where I live…?” Eyebrow raised, he tilted is head up at the taller boy who flashed a guilty smile and held up his hands. 

“Blame Duval not me – I asked him for your address and he happily obliged.” Sebastian raked a hand through his windswept hair and sighed, eyes meeting Blaine’s. “And I just… I really enjoyed the last time we hung out and then I was a dick at the party, and I didn’t like the way we left it so… Here I am. If you want me to leave…”

“No!” Blaine blurted out, a tad too enthusiastically. “Uh, I mean, no, you don’t have to. I was just gonna make a coffee and have some cake, you want some?” he recovered, head down after his way too loud exclamation. He headed towards the kitchen, grabbing Sebastian’s elbow as he went, ignoring the chuckle from the other boy. Taking two mugs from the side and emptying the coffee pot into them, he bustled around the kitchen getting milk, plates, snacks, and whatever he could to avoid Sebastian’s gaze, very aware that Sebastian Smythe was standing in Blaine’s house and he was dressed like a pile of shit. 

“I have to say, whilst I love the bowties and skin-tight chinos, casual is a good look on you Anderson” he hears, the comment earnest and accompanied with a smirk, Sebastian’s eyes raking over his body. Blaine grumbled out a response, along the lines of “fuck off it’s the holidays”, and shoved a slice of cake over, accompanied with an “Eat some damn cake Smythe”. 

The two sat in comfortable silence as they ate and drank, Sebastian’s eyes taking in the explosion of Christmas decorations over the house, a mixture of tasteful and coordinated décor and the occasional homemade ornament by a young Anderson brother which added disgusting amounts of charm. Blaine took pride in his house, he knew it was warm and inviting, and the angel he and Cooper made to go on top of the tree when they were kids still made his heart feel fuzzy when he looked at it, even if it was objectively shit. Soon, as effortlessly as ever, easy conversation struck up between the two, light teasing and earnest questions about Christmas following between them, any past awkwardness dissolved as Blaine realised how guilty his friend must feel if he travelled all the way to see him, and actually admitted his own wrongdoing. He didn’t pry when his question about how everything was going in the Smythe household was met with a pained look and a series of very colourful hand gestures which meant that it wasn’t exactly great. Sebastian’s dad wasn’t abusive, or overly awful, but he knew that as far as father’s go he was distant and not too paternal, the expectations he pressed on his son were far too great for Sebastian to give him any adoration. Instead, Blaine handed him another slice of cake and steered the conversation to college, allowing Sebastian to explain some of the details of his course of study which Blaine nodded and smiled at, not really understanding anything coming out of his mouth. He was damn smart, but college level law wasn’t exactly his specialty. 

The sound of a key in the lock made Blaine jerk his head up dragging him out of their conversation - his parents weren’t supposed to be home for hours? He had their schedules memorised so he wouldn’t be caught watching the same episode of the Clone Wars or Moulin Rogue on repeat and could instead pretend to have done something vaguely productive whilst they were out. Rather than the usual opening of the door and light conversation of his parents accompanying them getting home, he hears a loud SLAM, followed by the sound of a large bag being dropped on the floor.

“Oh Blaineeee, I’m home squirt!”

Oh God.

Cooper. Sebastian in his kitchen. Cooper and Sebastian. Sebastian and Cooper in his kitchen. 

He scrambles off his seat and runs to the hall, seeing his older brother standing with a shit eating grin on his face, sunglasses perched on his head (really Coop? it’s 23rd December), leather jacket hugging his body and large duffel bag collapsed on the ground next to him. The older Anderson reaches out to ruffle Blaine’s hair, dragging him in under his shoulder in a playful headlock, despite his objections. 

“Good to see you squirt! Thought I’d stop off back home for a few days, let my acting talents recharge themselves, get reacquainted with the common folk and all that”. Cooper released him from his grip, slapping him on the back and sauntering into the house, slamming the door behind him. “And who’s car is that outside? Its way nicer than the shitty Prius you drive that’s for sure” he finishes, turning back to Blaine with a suggestive raised eyebrow. 

“U-uh, what? Car, uh, w-what…” Blaine sputters, unsure of what direction he wants this conversation to go in, his brain apparently deciding that stupid and illiterate was the way forward. A slight cough echoes from behind them, the Anderson brothers turning to see Sebastian leaning against the entryway to the kitchen, slight smirk on his face as he takes in the sight of an over excited Cooper and panicked Blaine. 

“That car would be mine, and yes it’s way nicer than Blaine’s piece of shit” he announces, before strolling over to Cooper and extending his hand casually, the two standing at similar heights. “Sebastian Smythe, I’m a friend of Blaine’s from Dalton” he offers, as Cooper grabs his hand and shakes it vigorously. 

“Well, very nice to meet you Sebastian” Cooper starts, not so subtly turning back to Blaine giving him an exaggerating wink and the ‘ok’ sign with his fingers. Great, so he has his brother’s approval to lust over the boy who definitely doesn’t want to date him, perfect. “I see Blainers here already has company, so that ruins the plan of me taking him out to lunch…Unless you don’t have plans and you want to join us?” he offers, staring at Sebastian with a glint in his eye that suggested that his question wasn’t really a question, and that saying no would retract any seal of approval he had previously offered. Blaine groaned, crossing his arms over his chest and willing that just this once, the universe would do him a favour and just let the earth swallow him up. Clearly his luck wasn’t that great, as smoothly as ever Sebastian fixed Cooper with a blinding smile and matched his charm.

“Sounds great, wouldn’t want to be anywhere else”. Smug bastard, thought Blaine, revelling in his discomfort – Sebastian was definitely joining his list of fake friends along with the ‘gel helmet’ offenders Sam and Tina, and Candle’s reenactors Jeff and Nick. 

“C-cool, let me just get changed and we can head off” Blaine offers weakly, deciding that accepting his fate was just going to have to do, and he heads off back upstairs, closely followed by a grinning Sebastian. He went to his room, hearing the jostling of Cooper downstairs as he starting moving stuff around their living room and probably just being straight up destructive. Blaine headed to his wardrobe, stifling through various sweaters and polos, aware of Sebastian entering his bedroom behind him, pushing the door slightly closed behind the two of them before flopping down on his bed like he owned the place. 

“So, Cooper seems friendly” he offered, chuckling at the subsequent rolling of Blaine’s eyes, putting an arm behind his head as he leant back against the headboard, eyes taking in every inch of the room, examining his teenaged home with keen interest. “He seems nice too, you could do way worse in terms of a brother”. Sebastian’s statement seemed sincere, and almost wistful, his dislike of being an only child not lost on Blaine, who knew that his friend was often lonely growing up, and although Cooper was a pain in the ass at least he was _there_. 

Blaine sighed, reaching for a mustard sweater hung up in the closet, “Yeah I know. We weren’t close for a long time, a constant competition between us until I realised that we actually wanted such different things and were such different people that it was pointless.” Grabbing navy chinos and a white shirt he laid out the ensemble on the bed, humming appreciatively at the striped bow tie Sebastian pointed at. “My senior year of high school we started to reconnect more, and actually get on pretty well now, he’s an idiot but I love him” he finished, happy with his outfit choice. He looked up at Sebastian pointedly, gesturing for him to leave the room so he could change into his more appropriate-for-outside ensemble. Sebastian offered an exaggerated groan, clutching at his heart dramatically and brushing away fake tears, but headed towards the door with no complaint, smile light on his face as he left the room. Part of Blaine wished he didn’t tell him to go, that changing in front of your friends was no big deal. he Sam and Jake always did after they used to work out together, but he wasn’t sure if being subjected to Sebastian’s hungry gaze and lingering eyes when he was in underwear would be something he could get through without doing something stupid. Sighing, he went to get changed, and prepare himself to deal with two charismatic assholes. 

~

“And then I said, no Michael Bay, _you_ point too much!”

So far, lunch had been pretty successful. Cooper dominated most the conversation, both Blaine and Sebastian happy to sit back and let the older Anderson entertain them with ridiculous stories of auditions, commercials, and the support groups he infiltrated whilst undercover ‘preparing’ for a role. Blaine often found his eyes drifting towards Sebastian, his expression always light and amused, clearly fond of Cooper but not in love with him like every other person seemed to be, instead showing a similar humoured bemusement which he himself found feeling towards his brother. Every now and then, their eyes would meet, the ends of mouths twitching as they tried not to laugh at another ridiculous impression, a slight flush covering Blaine’s cheeks as the intimacy of this three person lunch catches up with him. He’s cut out his daydreaming by Cooper plucking at one of his curls – again left slightly looser than he’d worn them in the previous years. 

“Digging the more chill hairstyle squirt, tell you what you’re looking way more fly since you got rid of that Hummel” Cooper stated, nose scrunching at his mention of Blaine’s ex. Kurt’s constant fangirling over him wasn’t necessarily the issue – after all Cooper loved the attention – but the way Blaine was often left in the background when the three of them were together was something his big brother didn’t approve of. Plus, as the siblings grew closer over the past few years, Blaine became more forthcoming with his feelings, admitting the times he felt unwanted and abandoned with his partner, Cooper being able to offer surprisingly good advice when he wanted to.

“Oh tell me about it – turns out getting rid of the gay parasite on your back makes you stop cementing your hair, who would’ve thought”. Sebastian rolls his eyes, grudgingly accepting the bro fist Cooper sends his way after he speaks. Blaine huffs, but lets a small smile escape his lips as the two in front of him bicker back and forth both either insulting his ex or talking about the benefits of mousse rather than gel. 

As they finish up their lunch, time approaching for the Anderson brothers to get home for some ‘family time’ with their parents, Blaine found himself marvelling at how truly content he was, relaxing in their company and his head not plagued down with negativity and worry like it had done for so long. He found himself being dragged into a photo, Cooper insisting that he has to ‘capture every moment’ of his time back home for his adoring fans, him and Sebastian squished together as his brother waves over a waitress to take the shot. Groaning at having to be in a godawful photo, he feels Sebastian’s arm settle lightly over his shoulders, bringing him close as they smile, Cooper leaning over the table so the three are almost in a line, beaming wildly. 

“Perfect, thank you! Can’t have three handsome guys hang out and not have evidence of it can we squirt!” Cooper announces, ruffling Blaine’s hair as he puts down cash on the table, leading the way out for the three of them. Sebastian lightly chuckles, standing up and gently removing his arm from around Blaine, letting his fingers trail slightly across his back before following Cooper out the restaurant, Blaine closely behind. 

~ 

Arriving back at the Anderson house, Blaine noted his parents were both home, and Cooper ran in ahead to greet them, leaving the other two a few steps behind, walking together and casually bumping shoulders. 

“I actually had a good time with your insane brother today killer, not exactly how I thought my first time at your house would end up – I mean we were wearing way too many clothes for starters” Sebastian chuckled, swatting away Blaine’s hand which lightly shoved him. 

“Glad you enjoyed it, Coop can be quite a lot… but he means well at least, and he definitely took a liking to you which is possibly a good thing.” Blaine looked up at Sebastian, who seemed pleased he’d won over the favour of the older Anderson, and he looked as if he was going to say something before he was beaten by another voice. 

“Hey son, would your friend like to stay for dinner? The idea of someone who can put up with Cooper is very exciting, we have plenty to go around?” his dad called out, standing at the front door wearing a floral apron, and a casual smile on his face staring at his son. Blaine looked expectantly at Sebastian, carefully nudging his shoulder and mouthing ‘yes’ at him, giving him permission to accept. 

“Oh thank you very much Mr Anderson, that sounds wonderful” he manages, charming as ever, flashing him his trademark charismatic smile. The two makes their way inside the house, Sebastian returning Richard Anderson’s firm handshake and pat on the back, joining Cooper and Pam in the living room surrounded by the decorations. Sebastian found himself being pulled into a warm hug by Pam, who ushered her thanks at him accepting their invitation. 

“I recognise you; you were at Dalton weren’t you? I’ve seen you in some pictures on Facebook I think” she comments, warmly patting his arm. Blaine had never told his parents’ who was behind the slushie, thinking it would simply cause more problems than it would fix. Sebastian seemed to realise this as well, fixing Blaine with a confused look before returning the warm smile given to him by Pam. 

“Yes, unfortunately not at the same time as Blaine but we managed to become friends anyway”. That answer seemed to please his parents, easy conversation settling over the group before they were seated at the table for dinner. Sebastian was naturally charming, fitting in smiles and pleasant comments throughout the meal, answering his dad’s questioning about college and careers, managing to impress Blaine’s father with his current track to becoming a lawyer. He couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride and happiness at his parents obvious liking towards Sebastian, the conversation flowing effortlessly between the five of them, his parents taking no steps to disguise their approval and fondness. 

After dinner – and Sebastian seamlessly offering to help clean up because of course he did – the two headed upstairs, announcing to his parents that they were gonna watch a film or two, stuffed after the large meal. He heard the taller boy shut the door behind him and collapse on the bed just as he did earlier in the day, Blaine’s bedroom no longer an unfamiliar environment. Grabbing his laptop and joining Sebastian on the bed, Blaine sat a few inches apart from him, flicking through various films on the screen, humming and biting his lip wondering what to pick. He turned to look at Sebastian, who was staring at him fondly, hand behind his head like earlier, exposing the underside of his bicep which Blaine was decidedly not looking at. Sam had texted him some very solid advice earlier, stating that “looking leads to touching dude. eyes off means hands off.” He was so wise.

“Pick whatever you want killer, I know you’re a movie buff and I’m down for whatever” Sebastian offers, leaning back further against the bed, Blaine not looking at the way his bicep rippled as he moved and the slight lift of his t-shirt exposing a sliver of skin near his hip bone. 

He was not looking. 

Focusing on his laptop, he settled on Legally Blonde because sometimes you just want to sit back, and watch Reese Witherspoon look cute and tear down patriarchal assholes and not have to think too hard. His choice seemed to amuse Sebastian, who lightly chuckled but offered him a goofy thumbs up as well. 

“Hey, no judgement from me Anderson, always a solid choice. This is basically why I wanted to become a lawyer after all” he said with a laugh, eyes flickering back and forth from the screen to Blaine’s eyes, as a comfortable silence settled between the two of them. 

Just as the fun studying montage began, early 2000’s pop music glaring from the screen, Blaine felt Sebastian shift next to him, face turning and arm tensing slightly before he spoke. “You didn’t tell your parents it was me who threw the slushie, did you.” It was a statement, not a question, spoken softly with a flicker of fear behind it, something not often escaping Sebastian’s words. 

“Uh no, I didn’t” Blaine took a deep breath and faced the taller boy, rubbing the back of his neck. “Honestly, I knew no one was supposed to get hurt, and that although you were an asshole, you weren’t abusive, and I just didn’t think it was worth it” he said with a shrug, taking in the pained look on Sebastian’s face.

“But I hurt you.” It came out as almost a whisper, as if he didn’t dare say it, exposing his guilt and discomfort to Blaine, eyes downcast and afraid, shrinking in on himself. 

“Yeah, you did” Blaine agreed, shrugging softly. “But you’re not a bad person, you weren’t then and you’re not now. You were a frustrated kid who made a dumb mistake, something we’ve all done.” He took a deep breath, collecting himself and tried to speak without a waver in his voice. 

“I cheated on Kurt. Senior year, when he was in New York.” he announced, slight crack in his speech as he spat out the sentence he hated to say more than anything else. Casting his eyes downward, he continued, “I felt alone, abandoned, and as if he didn’t care about me. He never returned my calls, noticed what I was doing – he didn’t even realise I was running for class president when I won it. Fuck, even you texted me congratulations.” Steadying himself, he turned to look at Sebastian, whose eyes were slightly wide at his confession. “It doesn’t make it ok, and what I did was wrong, and I’ve struggled ever since trying to live with myself for that mistake. What I’m trying to say Seb, is that we’ve all fucked up, and we’ve all done stupid shit – but it doesn’t mean we can’t be good people”. Blaine’s own acceptance of that had only come a few months ago, his struggle with self-hatred enveloping him, until he realised he couldn’t change what had been done. His confession seemed to help Sebastian, who moved the arm from behind his head to around Blaine’s shoulders, pulling him in close in a half hug, a muffled “thank you” spoken into his hair, no more words being dared spoken by either one of them out of fear of saying too much, going too far. Instead, they settled back into watching the film, until Blaine slowly felt his eyes closing, and his body melting into the bed and boy next to him, feeling a soft pressure of lips against his hair as he drifted to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading!! :)  
> im killer-leo on tumblr if you wanna say hi or anything, thats my non social social media


	7. chapter seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> things are advancing *wink wink*  
> cw for some smut - nothing too explicit really but a little more than pg-13

“I can’t believe Sebastian wanted to be a lawyer after watching Legally Blonde, that’s funny as shit”.

Blaine sighed, kicking Nick under the table. “Seriously, that’s what you get from that story? You suck”. The two of them sat in the Lima Bean with cups of coffee in front of them, away from the main hub of people in the café, tucked over by the window. Blaine had texted his Dalton friend to see if he wanted to meet up, being the day after Christmas and his parents off visiting some family friends he’d decided against seeing. 

After dozing off watching the film with Sebastian a few nights ago, he had been lightly awoken at the end of it by the other boy gently nudging at his side, thumb absentmindedly stroking over his knuckles. In his sleep his body had betrayed him as usual, throwing an arm over Sebastian’s torso and shoving his face into his chest, the top of his curls just tickling his chin. 

“Hey killer, the film you slept through just ended, I should probably be going” Sebastian whispered, as the two boys detangled themselves from one another. Blaine could still feel the ghost of his lips against his hair, and imprint of his thumb caressing his hand as he sat up, half asleep and hazy. “Fuck, I’m sorry, napping comes way too easy for me” he murmured, face blushing as he scratched through his hair. Sebastian smiled and stood up, smoothing out the bed where he’d been laying and moving the laptop off over to the desk. 

“Don’t worry about it, you making a habit out of falling asleep on me is the highlight of this holiday so far” he said with a slight smirk, slipping on his shoes and jumper on the other side of the room. “As much as I’d love to stay, I think your parents actually like me and I don’t want to give them any reason not to, and I think that involves sleeping in their son’s bedroom.” 

Blaine knew his parents wouldn’t really care, but didn’t want to come off desperate, and was still half-asleep anyway so just sleepily nodded, and returned Sebastian’s soft smile as he watched the taller boy slip out the room, allowing himself to doze back off, inhaling the last remaining scent left on the pillow next to him. 

He definitely didn’t recount that bit to Nick. 

“But seriously Blaine, I think he’s into you. You should’ve seen him at Dalton – after the slushie incident he was torn up, made us do so many charity performances it was ridiculous, and then after Hunter joined, the way he sang your praises put Trent to shame and that boy probably has a shrine to you in his room. And like, not to make it awkward buddy, but after your whole proposal he seriously shut down, like wouldn’t talk to anyone and went back to his junior year asshole self a bit” Nick admitted, blowing slightly on his drink before taking a sip. Blaine’s mind went a little blank, not even considering how asking Sebastian to help in his proposal would make the other boy feel, the thought of him actually _liking_ Blaine in that way beyond sexual attraction never even occurring. He knew Nick wasn’t lying, his friend not one to play with his emotions like that or lead him astray. 

The last few days since they’d seen each other he and Sebastian had regularly texted when they could – both pretty caught up with family over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day but took the time to send over messages as often as possible. Cooper had even posted the photo of the three of them on his Instagram, clearly deciding that Sebastian was his new friend from the way he had brought him up several times in conversation, even asking Blaine for his number in case he needed to “text his new bro, in like, an emergency”. Blaine wasn’t sure if he liked that or not yet. Talking things over with Nick was useful, not only as he loved any occasion to meet up with his friend, but also because he knew both himself and Sebastian, able to offer advice which wasn’t as bias as his non-Dalton friends. He had also updated the ‘Blamtina’ group chat (he did _not_ name it), deciding that he wanted to keep his best friends in on the loop, not just the occasional text to Sam. Blaine had never been too good with crushes, so probably needed all the help he could get. 

“I like him Nick, I really do. I just don’t want to get myself into something where he doesn’t want the same, you know he’s not really the ‘boyfriends’ type.”

Nick nodded and put his cup down. “I also didn’t think he was the ‘have-dinner-with-your-parents-and-then-cuddle-you-to-sleep-whilst-watching-Legally-Blonde’ type either, so honestly I wouldn’t rule anything out at this point in time” he stated, gaze fixed on Blaine as he raised an eyebrow. Blaine sighed and stared out the window – Nick had a point, that behaviour was a little too intimate for friends, and more emotive than just wanting a quick fuck, but he also didn’t want to make himself too vulnerable and then just get hurt. He finished his drink and set it aside, fiddling with his bow tie. 

“You want another one? It’s on me cos your life is a teen drama right now” Nick asked, gesturing towards his empty cup and standing up, taking Blaine’s nod as a yes and heading over to the counter. Turning over his phone on the table, he noticed a text from Sebastian, a smile breaking out on his face as he read the new message.

**from Sebastian**  
serious question – am I allowed to kill jeff if he brings up nick one more time? I actually think im getting nauseated, im one more uptown girl reference away to putting nair in his blond hair dye

That elicited a laugh from Blaine, he knew the pair were hanging out today, playing video games after going on a run together, the two boys still fairly close from school. Whilst tapping his screen thinking about what to reply, out the corner of his eye he saw a flash of pink rush towards him, accompanied by a high pitched squeal.

“Blainey Days! Look at you!” Tina squeaked out, wrapping her arms around him as she squeezed tightly, her lightly curled hair tickling his face as he returned the hug, looking up at Mike next to her, who offered a small wave in greeting, smile on his face as he stood next to his girlfriend. Blaine had always liked Mike, who never seemed to pass judgements or involve himself in a lot of the ridiculous drama of the group, instead was a good friend and great boyfriend, and Blaine was so happy that he and Tina had reconciled their relationship the year before. 

“Hey TT, finally out the house I see?” he spoke against her hair, before she detangled them and moved back to Mike, resting her head on his shoulder. 

“Yeah, my parents just can’t deal with all our extended family alone, I don’t know why I even came home it’s such a nightmare – I managed to get out today at least, me and Mike are heading off to go ice skating later!”. Blaine looked at the two of them, hands entwined, and heads bumped together, a slight jealousy rising in him as he missed that feeling, the constant affection from someone which was so intimate and meaningful, from the slightest of touches to gentles of kisses. Nick came back with their drinks, nodding hello to his McKinley friends before sitting back down, giving a slight wave to the couple. 

“Oh hey, this is Nick, we were at Dalton together – you remember him?” he offered, gesturing at his three friends who although had been in the same room together many times, he didn’t think they’d ever actually spoken. It had always been a secret wish of his for his Warbler and New Directions friends to actually get along and not act like show choir was life and death and speaking to a student from another school was something which deserved torture. Wishful thinking really.

“I remember seeing you perform, yeah” Tina said sweetly, eyes narrowing in on Nick. “You’re friends with Sebastian aren’t you?” she added, Mike rolling his eyes next to her and putting his arm round her shoulder. Nick laughed and took a sip from his drink. 

“Yeah, Smythe is alright deep down, underneath his asshole exterior. He’s a lot nicer now, especially with Blaine around that’s for sure” he added, smirk on his face as he side eyed Blaine, well aware he was doing nothing to help the situation. His comment made Mike laugh, gently nudging Tina who rolled her eyes, but sighed out and looked at Blaine with kind eyes. 

“I’ve heard…And I trust Blaine, so, I promise I won’t attack him on the internet or throw bricks through his windows” she said, putting her hand on his shoulder and lightly squeezing. “We gotta run, but we’ll see you tomorrow for Rachel’s party, right B?”. Fuck, that was tomorrow, he’d completely forgotten. 

“Yep, I did promise didn’t I” he muttered, absentmindedly scratching his face, the event completely forgotten amidst the last week of his life. “Some of the New New Directions are going right?” he asked, thinking that if at least some of the members of his senior year glee club are there he could distract from any awkward interactions with Kurt. 

“I think so! Not entirely sure but Rachel reached out to everyone, so we’ll have to see” Tina replied, before popping a quick kiss on his head and squeezing his cheek. “Bye Blainers!”. Mike gave him a pat on the shoulder before the two made their way out the Lima Bean, Blaine’s eyes following their entwined hands as they left the café. He took a long drink from his new cup of coffee, humming appreciatively at the hot liquid and giving a thumbs up to Nick. 

“New Directions reunion? You look decidedly less excited about that than you did about hanging out with the Warblers, so I’ll take that as a compliment” his friend offered, raising a brow at the pained look on Blaine’s face as it was mentioned.

“It’s not that I don’t want to go… It’s just Sam _won’t_ be there, and Kurt _will_ be there, and everyone is way too dramatic and things will probably be blown way out of proportion – it’ll be nice to see people I’m just not getting too optimistic” he admitted, shrugging his shoulders. “Plus when Rachel drinks she tries to make out with me and then forces me to sing duets with her which is all kinds of awkward.”

That gets a laugh from Nick, and the two settle back into conversation, debating the Dalton blazer vs Dalton cardigan, Call of Duty vs Assassin’s Creed, and the prequels vs sequels, fitting into their old school routine as if they’d never left. 

~

After dropping Nick off and getting back home, Blaine sat in his room, playing with a few notes on his keyboard humming along. He’d finished dinner with his family and helped Cooper run through some lines for a new script he was learning, time passing to the evening. Hanging out with his brother and being in his company had really solidified how much he had missed him, even if they just goofing around or helping him point at random objects– they were definitely going to keep better contact after they both returned to their different cities. Turns out Cooper and Sebastian really got on as well, Blaine forced to read their texts as his brother showed him the message chain so he could appreciate his “excellent emoji usage” compared to Sebastian’s, which was “poor effort” apparently. That friendship was a weird one, but only a few days old so Blaine didn’t make a judgement yet – he’d wait until he figured out if they were going to gang up on him or not. Tinkering with a few keys, forming somewhat of a melody as he played around with different chord progressions, he checked his watch, realising it was getting kind of late, but his brain was still in high gear, not yet ready for sleep thanks to his caffeine overload earlier. A sudden vibration of his phone on top of the keyboard stopped his playing, a text lighting up his screen.

**from Sebastian**  
ive been inside this house with no escape for two whole days now with my dad and his girlfriend, and I think im actually becoming heterophobic 

**from Sebastian**  
scandals in half an hour? I promise to behave but its been far too long since ive had a drink and if I hear one more republican ass comment followed by a disgusting mistletoe induced make out I will cry and commit a hate crime

Blaine stared at the screen, completely unsure what to do. His brain went into overdrive, a million questions racing through his head. Why Scandals? Why him? Were they going there to drink, to dance, so he could wingman Sebastian? He hadn’t stepped foot in the club in over a year, going there once on his own at an event night where there were enough people so he felt hidden and not exposed, but he hadn’t lasted long for fear of being seen alone. He’d been to his fair share of nights out in college but being in a gay bar in New York is a pretty different environment to one in Ohio. Realising he’d spent nearly 5 minutes building up his anxiety and not actually replying to Sebastian, he glimpsed his old Dalton blazer out the corner of his eye, glaring at him as if shouting what he missed out on, and the constant reminder of a different path he could’ve taken. 

Fuck it.

**from Blaine**  
sure. 11pm, see you at the bar?

**from Sebastian**  
see you then killer ;)

~  
Flashing his fake ID to the bouncer on the door who barely even glanced at it, Blaine pushed his way into the club, eyes adjusting to the dark room and pulsing lights, the crowd looking fairly dense for a change. The smell remained the same; the intense wave of alcohol, stale sweat and chemicals from smoke machines that clouded the air, the room thick and hazy. Some electro version of a top 40 hit plays aggressively loud from the speakers, the bass causing a vibration in the cheap plastic floor. Making his way through the crowd towards the bar, Blaine craned his neck for the sight of Sebastian. The other boy was always punctual, and Blaine was running late anyway, having another clothing crisis over what to wear. He could hear Sebastian’s voice in his head as he stared at his wardrobe, the slight praise over Blaine in casual wear ringing in his ears, causing him to fret back and forth between a get up of shirt and bowtie, or something more laidback. He settled on dark chinos with a polo, top buttons undone, exposing his throat in an unfamiliar way, his clothes tight on his body but not obnoxiously so. He wanted to be looked at, but only by Sebastian.

Standing on his tip toes, he saw the familiar face at the end of the bar, and he pushed his way through the crowd to reach him, smile breaking on his face as their eyes meet, Sebastian in dark t-shirt and jeans, sinfully relaxed but still exuding confidence, the top of his collarbone exposed, just begging for Blaine to _touch_. As he reached the bar, Sebastian slid a drink over to him, ice in the rum and coke slightly melted as he must’ve ordered a while ago.

“Sorry I’m a bit late, the, uh, car that picked me up got a bit lost” he lied, not wanting to admit his clothing frustration. 

“Don’t worry about it killer, just gave me time to get through my first drink with no distraction” Sebastian offered with a wink, showing no subtlety in the way his eyes darkened as they raked up and down his body, lingering on his thighs and arms hungrily. (Guess the outfit was a good choice at least.) He grabbed the drink from the bar and took a large gulp, not wanting to be left too sober as Sebastian started another drink, reminding himself he was here to have fun and let go, not talk himself out of doing stuff he actually enjoyed.

“So, how was your Christmas?” he found himself asking, because that is exactly the normal thing to say standing at the bar of a gay club with his crush, after spending the entirety of Christmas texting each other about how their holidays were going. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at him, clearly amused at Blaine’s random attempt at small talk.

“Your brother didn’t stop texting me, that was entertaining at least” he replied, signalling the bartender over. “My dad’s girlfriend gave me alcohol, so I hate her slightly less now. Can we have 4 shots of vodka please?” he finished, turning to the bartender who had come over as soon as he saw Sebastian wave, clearly wanting more than just a drink order from him. Blaine was definitely not jealous, but he moved closer to the other boy as he took another gulp of his drink until their arms were touching, the heat from their bodies radiating onto one another. When the bartender returned, he slid over the shots, taking the bills from Sebastian’s hand, fingers lingering _way_ longer than necessary, and that guy was so not getting tipped by Blaine tonight. They each wordlessly downed their shots, Sebastian significantly more smoothly whilst Blaine bit back noises of disgust. Honestly, straight vodka tasted like paint thinner and he was proud of himself for not actually throwing up. He heard the music shift to a song he recognised, some female pop singer blaring from the speakers and his face lit up, grabbing Sebastian’s hand.

“I love this song! Let’s dance!” he shouted a bit too enthusiastically, pulling Sebastian away from the bar, who let himself be led towards the dance floor by the younger man, shifting through the crowd until they ended up near the centre. Blaine swayed loosely in time with the music, arms up and head tilted back, singing along with the tune getting most the words wrong but not caring. He felt the alcohol in his system, cursing his low tolerance level, feeling tipsy enough to lower his inhibitions and stop any panicked thoughts, just dancing along, finally letting himself go. He could feel Sebastian in front of him, their arms occasionally brushing as they danced together, opening his eyes to take in the other boy, who was moving lightly, head back and hips swaying. Blaine felt his eyes darken watching him – so effortlessly cool, long limbs which should’ve made him look gangly just making him appear elegant, hair falling slightly in his face as it lost some product, a light sheen on his skin which Blaine just wanted to lick off. He was downright distracting, and also _way_ too far away from him Blaine thought, the alcohol taking over his arms as he found himself pulling Sebastian closer, his hands making his way round the back of his head and grazing slightly through his hair. 

Sebastian’s eyes widened slightly at the touch, moving forwards without complaint, staring down at Blaine with intent, carefully winding his arms round his waist solidifying their proximity. He touched him gently, not with the fever that Blaine expected, as if hesitant to push further. 

“I’m not going to break you know” he uttered, fixing his eyes directly onto Sebastian’s, a confidence taking over him, his statement more of a challenge than anything else. Their breath was on each other’s faces, hips dangerously close, arms wrapped around each other’s bodies. Blaine had wanted Sebastian since he met him, never wanting to admit it, to himself or anyone else, never allowing himself to entertain that thought. There was a reason he went to Eli, and not Sebastian – if he allowed himself to be with the Warbler, it would’ve meant something, and wouldn’t have been a meaningless fling. It would’ve proven what he had known all along and giving in to those temptations would have had more consequences. Not now though. Not here. Now there was nothing holding him back, and from the look in his eye there was barely anything holding the other boy back either. 

“Are you sure killer?” Sebastian murmured, half in response to Blaine’s statement, half a concealed question, asking his permission, making sure he was doing as Blaine wanted. Fuck holding himself back anymore he thought, and surged forwards, capturing Sebastian’s lips with his own, pushing his body solid against the other as he grabbed the back of his neck, one hand scratching through hair roughly. He feels a moan against his lips, and he pushes his tongue forwards, the kiss messy and passionate, relieving 4 years of tension as their bodies melt into one another, hands roaming and hips grinding. They stopped dancing, instead just moving together on the dance floor, oblivious to the stares around them, lips hungrily moving against each other and hands gripping on tight. Blaine pulls back slightly, panting as he catches his breath, staring at Sebastian’s eyes which are so dark they look black, his lips bruised and swollen, hair tousled from Blaine’s roaming hands. He leans back in, biting Sebastian’s bottom lip, dragging his teeth slowly, before tracing wet open mouthed kisses down his neck, sucking a deep mark just above his colour bone, Sebastian tilted his head back and fingers dug into Blaine’s hips as he urged him against his body. The feel of Sebastian’s crotch against his, soft skin underneath his lips and long fingers desperately clutching at his body was driving Blaine wild, eyes dark and wide, curls flying loose, plastered against his forehead. Sebastian grabbed his chin with his hand, dragging it up to his face, his lips attacking his as he licked his way into his mouth, moaning gently. All of Blaine’s nerves were electrified, every touch sending jolts down his body, every bite on his lip making him emit a soft groan, Sebastian almost growling in response. He felt lips pull away from his, panting and desperate.

“Do you want to get out of here?”, the question coming out in a hurried, breathy moan, and Blaine had never heard sweeter words in his life. Sebastian grabbed his hand and urged them through the crowd, his grip like iron as they moved through bodies towards the exit. Cool air hit him like a wall as they made it outside, burning against his skin which was electrified and scorching. As they got past the door, he felt a hand on his chest and he was pushed against the wall, Sebastian crowding him and staring down, eyes glassed over and hungry, pushing his lips against Blaine’s neck, teeth grazing lightly down towards his collarbone, moving up and sucking just below his ear, causing Blaine to moan out, pushing his hips forward, hissing at the contact. Realising they were nearly dry humping outside of a sketchy bar in the middle of Ohio, he lightly pushed on Sebastian’s chest, separating them. 

“Where do you want to go?” he asked, still panting, trying to sound confident and composed when he was anything but. Sebastian raised a hand, lightly tracing it across Blaine’s cheekbone, caressing his face. 

“My place is closer, and my bedroom is the complete other side of the house to my dad’s, so he’d never know” he said, moving his hand from Blaine’s cheek to his collarbone, fingernails lightly grazing the skin. The words caused his face to heat up further, the thought of sneaking around parents, and childhood bedrooms in family homes jerking him back to school, as if this was a moment that could have existed years ago.

Blaine was seeing red, consumed with lust so just nodded, seeing a cab parked nearby and dragging Sebastian over, neither one of them driving their own cars there that night. The two boys stumbled in, Sebastian giving an address, his place fairly nearby, and the taxi set off quickly, the driver clearly aware of the nature of their situation. Blaine sat breathing heavily, hand ghosting lightly over Sebastian’s knuckles, beginning to sober up slightly now out of the club, but feeling drunk on lust and euphoria. Kissing Sebastian had been everything he had imagined it would be – passionate but not painfully aggressive, driven and purposeful but tender, wild with desire and _need_. The two of them stared at each other, fingers lightly entwining and eyes dark with lust, but not wanting to give their driver a reason to bleach his eyes out so restraining themselves for the short journey. Even horny Blaine was a gentleman. 

Finally, they arrived at their destination, the house grand and impressive, not that Blaine had expected anything else from the Smythe residence. Sebastian gave over a handful of bills to the driver, not bothering to count them but knowing it included a generous tip, as they scrambled out the car, doors slamming. Blaine made his way to the front door, a hand on the small of his back guiding him forwards, warm breath on his neck. Sebastian fumbled with the keys, shoving them into the lock as he pushed the door open aggressively, the two of them falling in, Blaine finding himself pressed up against the inside of it once it had closed. Lips on his neck, he leant his head back and let himself be touched, hands grabbing at him and wet kisses placed on exposed skin. Groaning in desperation he shoved Sebastian back, taking his hand. 

“Bedroom.” he uttered, a demand not a question, getting a raised eyebrow and smirk in response. 

“Someone’s feel bossy, killer” Sebastian murmured, before pulling him off the door and leading him up a grand staircase, and down a long corridor decorated sparsely with minimalist art. Reaching the far end, Blaine let himself be guided into the bedroom, taking it in before he got distracted. It was fairly simple, deep green sheets on a king size bed in the centre of the room, dark wooden furniture framing the walls, some concert tickets and posters displayed, but nothing like the mild explosion of colour that was in his own room. Suddenly, his attempt to appreciate the décor of the bedroom was cut short by hands on his chest, pushing him back until the back of his knees pressed against the bedframe, and he allowed himself to fall backwards, hands out behind him bracing himself. He scrambled up the bed, laying down in the centre, Sebastian moving above him, hands either side of his head, his body hovering above Blaine’s, blocking out the light. Moving in desperation, Blaine grabbed the back of Sebastian’s neck and pulled him down, connecting their lips again, hungry for his touch, frantic to be close. Their hips slotted together as they both pressed up against one another, hands tugging at hair, legs entwined, desperate for connection. Blaine tugged at the bottom of Sebastian’s t-shirt, pulling it up, whining for contact, as the taller boy chuckled at his keenness. Sitting up, he tugged off his top, letting Blaine’s hands wander over the planes of defined muscle littered with beauty marks and freckles. 

“You’re gorgeous”, Blaine found himself saying, the words falling out his mouth as his fingers explored his skin, grazing slightly over nipples, eliciting a soft growl from Sebastian’s mouth, and he found his own polo being pulled off over his head, their bodies colliding and skin on skin contact electrifying him with passion. 

“Fuck Blaine, I’ve wanted this since I first saw you” Sebastian murmurs, so quiet it’s barely audible, but it sends a wave of lust over Blaine, as well as a slight flutter in his heart. They roll together, adjusting so they’re side by side, both scrambling out of their jeans hurriedly, craving more contact. Blaine drags his fingers over the taller boy’s scalp, feeling lips sucking dark bruises along his skin, marks visible and possessive, the thought making him even harder, straining in his underwear. He feels Sebastian, solid against his thigh, and he knows they’re both way too far gone to make it to any actual fucking tonight, both just needing a release, rutting up against one another desperately. Sebastian’s hand reaches under the band of his underwear, pulling it down, Blaine reaching out and doing the same, until they’re both exposed, painfully hard, moving against one another moaning at the friction. Sebastian’s long finger’s wrap round them both, jerking his wrist frantically, Blaine thrusting up to meet him. He feels a release building up, biting down hard on Sebastian’s shoulder as he comes, vision going white and a moan escaping his mouth. The other boy soon follows, burying his head against Blaine’s neck, groans muffled against the skin.

“Holy fuck”, Sebastian breaths, rolling onto his back, chest rising and falling, hair plastered against his forehead and skin shining with sweat. Blaine makes a noise of agreement, words failing to actually form, drowsiness sweeping over him as he lay back in ecstasy. He feels the bed shift beside him, as Sebastian stands up, walking over to the side of the room to grab a t-shirt, wiping himself and making his way back over to Blaine, before softly wiping him down too, the act surprisingly tender, if not a little gross. He tossed the used top in a laundry basket, and sat back down on the bed, both of them tugging back on their underwear. Blaine sat, unsure of what to do – he wanted nothing more than to stay the night, close to Sebastian and entwined with the other boy, but he also didn’t want to make presumptions and make a dick of himself. The wheels spinning in his head must’ve been painfully obvious, as Sebastian rolled his eyes and tugged Blaine back onto the bed, pulling the covers over the both of them.

“Don’t overthink it Anderson, you’ll give yourself an aneurysm” he muttered, laying on his back and reaching an arm out, tucking the smaller boy in under his shoulder, so that his head was on his chest, curls tickling his chin. Blaine felt his heart grow three sizes at the gesture, snuggling in closer to Sebastian, entwining their legs and wrapping an arm around his waist, eyes drooping as his fatigue took over. He felt a brush of lips against his hair, and a faint murmur of words he didn’t quite catch, before he gave into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for reading and your lovely comments so far! i'm really enjoying writing this !! next chapter should be up pretty soon, im in my second year of uni and have finished my exams so dont have much else to be doing rn lol.  
> my tumblr is killer-leo, thats the social media i use for people i dont know irl if you wanna say hi


	8. chapter eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i found this chapter kinda tricky to write, basically as i don't know how to write the new directions and i had to actually try and remember things which happened in glee. ry*n m*rphy literally gave mercedes two personality traits - liking tator tots and being black... yikes. anyway stan amber riley and support black lives matter! hope you enjoy reading x

Yawning and stretching his neck out, he felt the presence of a warm body pressed against his, an arm slung loosely around his waist and hot breath puffing against his neck. Memories of the previous night flooded back, flashes of the club, the two of them pushed against another, tangled in bed. His heart warmed at the thought, butterflies filling his stomach at the recollection of him and Sebastian, the passion and intimacy which had sparked ferociously. The arm around his waist tightened slightly, bringing him in with a soft squeeze, lips ghosting at his neck as Sebastian pulled him closer, slightly groaning as he regained consciousness. Blaine shifted over, rolling under Sebastian’s arm so that they were facing one another, the other boy’s eyes dragging themselves open stubbornly.

“If you were watching me sleep I’m going to call the police on you Anderson” he muttered, slowly blinking and rolling onto his back, breathing out heavily. Raking a hand through his hair and dragging it down his face, Sebastian stretched out in bed, back cracking painfully. Blaine felt his face warm up, not wanting to move his eyes away from the other body, as the light streaming in highlighted his pale skin, illuminating the spattering of freckles on his chest that lay exposed, the sun catching his eyes, golden flecks merging in with green. Sebastian was attractive, anyone with vision could see it - hell, a blind guy could probably feel him up and know he was hot. But seeing him like this, soft and rumpled under a creased duvet, hair fluffy and lacking control, sleep lines from the sheets pressed into his skin amongst the hickey’s Blaine had left last night – he was utterly breath-taking. 

“Sorry, couldn’t help but admire the view” he stated, smile on his lips as he shuffled around under the duvet, stretching out his body slightly. He hadn’t drunk enough to get a hangover, just a slightly fuzzy taste in his mouth and minor disorientation. Sebastian huffed next to him, reaching out to grab his phone and check the time, groaning as he announced it was nearly midday. 

“Shit, my dad booked a lunch for me and him at 1, I’m gonna have to get up in a minute” he moaned, rolling his eyes in frustration. “Sorry killer, he planned it a while ago, so I have to commit.”

Blaine just smiled, the fact that Sebastian was annoyed they had to cut their time together shorter than he wanted was enough to make him happy, not being quite that insecure that he would be upset at premade plans. “Don’t worry about it, I should be heading off anyway - I told my parents I was staying over with a friend, but they probably want me back sooner rather than later.” He gave Sebastian a small kiss on the shoulder, pressing his lips against a freckle as the taller boy looked down at him, fingering a loose curl which fell in front of his eyes. Pulling himself up, he swung his legs over the bed and made his way to his discarded clothes on the floor, thrown into a very undignified pile on the ground. Blaine slipped on his outfit from the night before, nose wrinkling slightly at the smell of cheap alcohol and sweat, pulling out his phone to order an uber home. Opposite him, Sebastian had gotten up, standing tall and stretching his arms over his head, torso exposed and his muscles rippling slightly – if Blaine hadn’t wanted to fuck him before, that sight alone would’ve made him drop to his knees. 

“Hey, it’s pretty cold and you don’t have booze to keep you warm anymore, you wanna borrow a hoodie?”. The question snaps him out of his ogling (no he was not _drooling_ ) and forces his head up, Sebastian looking at him whilst pointing at a discarded jumper dumped on the back of a chair. He was going to get an uber straight from door to door – he knew that, Sebastian knew that – so there really wasn’t any need for him to have an extra layer on. The shy smile on Sebastian’s face betrayed him though, eyes not looking directly at Blaine, his usual cocky demeanour flickering away as he looked around his room for a towel. 

“O-oh yeah, sure. Thanks Seb”, Blaine replied, cos he’d be damned if he was going to turn down an opportunity to wear another guy’s hoodie – it was romance 101 and he was a sucker for a good cliché trope. Pulling it on over his head, the fabric swarmed him slightly; he was a lot broader than Sebastian, but his height did betray him, so the sleeves and the hem ran a little long, engulfing him in material and the intoxicating scent of the other boy. Sebastian had grabbed a towel and opened the door to the en suite, hanging it on the back of the door before turning back to Blaine, who walked over stopping right in front of him.

“I had a really good time last night” he stated confidently, urging himself to be truthful and honest, not wanting to sell anything short or have any miscommunication. “I’ll see you again soon?”

Sebastian grinned down at him, lightly cupping his face with his hand, and bringing their lips together in a soft and lazy kiss. It was chaste and innocent, but still made Blaine’s toes curl in his shoes, pushing up slightly to make himself taller. They pulled away, both of them lightly flushed and smiling, fingers softly brushing against each other. “Looking forward to it B, I’m sure your brother wants to see me anyway.”

The comment made Blaine scoff and nudge Sebastian away with his shoulder, eliciting a laugh. from the taller boy, who pressed a quick kiss amongst his curls. “Joking, Anderson. But yeah, I’ll see you soon” he finished softly, fixing him with one last gaze before turning into the bathroom to shower, leaving Blaine alone in his bedroom, heart full and skin buzzing. His phone vibrated to let him know his uber was here, so he made his way downstairs, managing to avoid interacting with any other member of the household, not wanting that awkward conversation with anyone. As he pushed his way outside, he knew one thing for sure – he had to call Sam.

~

He’d managed to make it into the house without being too suspicious, telling his parents he’d grabbed a drink with Jake and Ryder before crashing at the Puckerman’s house. The hundred times he’d practised the lie in his head in the car ride over helped him to pull it off – he may be a good actor but when he tried to lie he became a Tommy Wiseau knock off. Pleased he’d gotten away with it, he bounded up the stairs eager to shower and change, strolling into his room humming away. 

“Good afternoon squirt.” 

Cooper sat on his bed, arms crossed, and eyebrows raised, staring at him like a dad who’d just caught his kid stealing biscuits out the jar. Great.

“Funny that you told mom you were with your McKinley friends, when something tells me neither one of them played for the Dalton Lacrosse team” he continued, finger pointing at Blaine’s chest _very_ aggressively and wow ok maybe sometimes pointing is an effective acting choice. Peering down at the hoodie he was wearing, Blaine felt his stomach drop as he realised he was literally wearing Sebastian’s sport jumper, the school name and team logo plastered across the front. 

“U-uh… this is mine?” he stuttered weakly, eyes intently staring at the floor and playing with the hem of the accosted hoodie. Cooper scoffed dramatically, standing up and striding over to Blaine, whipping out his finger again and pointing it at his sternum. 

“Good one squirt. We both know your legs aren’t long enough to play lacrosse”. Wow, rude. (And true). Blaine rolled his eyes and pushed past his melodramatic brother, walking over to his desk to throw down his phone and keys. “Look, why do you have to lie about it bro? We both know you were with Sebastian last night; you’re literally wearing his hoodie and you have a hickey on your neck.” Cooper states, as Blaine’s hand flew up to cover his bruised skin. “Also, he texted me at like 2am a super lame drunk selfie, and your hair was definitely in the background.”

Well at least Blaine had now reached the conclusion that he hated their friendship and would objectively make his life worse. Cooper sighed and put his hand on Blaine’s shoulder, eyes softening as he lightly squeezed, voice coming out questioning and tentative. 

“What do you have to be afraid of squirt?”

Something inside Blaine snapped, as fear and anger bubbled to the surface that had been trapped inside him for too long.

“Everything! Everything Cooper! I don’t want to get hurt, I don’t want to embarrass myself, thinking he would want more than just sex and then being discarded afterwards. The thought of throwing myself at Sebastian and it ending in any way other than the two of us together, dating, makes me sick with nerves. I want him, I could end up loving him, he makes me feel _alive_ and _safe_ and _wanted_ and I don’t want to lose him” Blaine shouted, bursting out and pushing back at Cooper, eyes slightly watering as he allowed himself to yell out what he’d been trying his hardest to conceal. Voice wavering, he rubbed a hand over his face and sighed deeply. “If I dare to let myself think we could be more than what we are, I just run the risk of losing even more.”

He stared at Cooper with wet eyes, voice cracking slightly as he spoke, suddenly feeling small and vulnerable, all his anger dissolved and just left with doubt. His brother sighed wrapped him up in strong arms, squeezing him tightly and using a hand to ruffle through his hair. 

“Oh Blaine. You think too much you know that right?” Cooper spoke, muffled against Blaine’s hair. He pulled back, and led them over to sit on the bed, knees bumping. “I’ve hung out with Smythe once, and I could tell straight away that that boy likes you. He looks at you like the sun is shining out of your ass, not just that he wants to bone you man. You put yourself through so much pain squirt, when there’s no reason to. Sure, Sebastian is clearly emotionally stunted and has no idea what to do with his feelings, and he won’t even use emojis properly which is stupid, but he likes you. You think he’d put up with my messages if he didn’t?”. Cooper nudged his brother with his shoulder, patting him on the knee as he stood up. His words sunk into Blaine, washing over him as he sat, mind racing and thoughts spirally at a mile a minute. He was left alone in his room as his brother left, silently making his way downstairs to leave Blaine and his mind to stew over. 

~

_“Ok so you’ll be there at 9:30? Me and Mike are arriving are leaving soon, ETA half 8, so I imagine a lot of the party will be in full swing by the time you arrive so you having nothing to worry about”_

“Yep, I’m looking forward to it T, just want to get there once people have settled alright. Hey, have you heard from Sam? He hasn’t replied to my texts all day?”

_“Blainers your Blam separation anxiety is way too much, he’s probably just busy with his family silly. And trust me I get it, you’ll be fine! I gotta run, but I’ll see you later, love you!”_

“Love you too, TT”. Blaine hung up the phone, Tina helping to calm his nerves a little. He hadn’t told her about Sebastian, honestly, he didn’t know what to say and with the timing so close to seeing all his old glee club friends it just seemed risky, as although he loved her, subtly wasn’t exactly her strongest trait. Checking his messages again to see if he’d back from Sam – no luck – he clicked on a text from Nick, opening a photo of him and Jeff playing Call of Duty in his living room, chuckling at the goofy picture of the two of them. His fingers hovered over Sebastian’s name, unsure whether or not to text him, cringing at the idea of coming off as clingy (thanks Kurt) but also desperately wanting to talk to the other boy. Realising he was being dumb, and if he wanted to text him he could, he fired off a message without thinking too hard. 

**from Blaine**  
hey how’d lunch with your dad go? luckily he didn’t see a short 20 year old gay man leaving his house this morning so it can’t have been that bad

Almost immediately his phone buzzed, screen lighting up as he gets a response. 

**from Sebastian**  
honestly it wasn’t awful? he said he was proud of me for what im doing at college, and he actually asked me if I was having an ok time at home and if I wanted to do anything specific with him. I think that might have been the nicest thing he’s ever said in his life

 **from Blaine**  
aww seb, that sounds nice : ) you know he’s proud of you, he just doesn’t say it in the right way a lot of the time

 **from Sebastian**  
I guess, its not like we’re about to start a father son comedy troupe but it’s somewhere at least

 **from Sebastian**  
sorry killer I gotta run, have something to do. talk later x

Blaine frowned at his phone, the vagueness of Sebastian’s comment a little odd, but he shook his head and put his phone down. For a minute, he’d thought about inviting the other boy to come along tonight, his presence would’ve definitely been reassuring for him. But it would also be pretty disastrous in all other aspects so he’d decided against it, although still selfishly wishing he could bring him along. God, he wished Sam was going. 

Looking at his watch, he saw it had gone past 8:30, the party officially started with people beginning to arrive, so he should probably finish getting ready. Turning up a little after everyone else gave him the chance to slip in, everyone a drink or so down so the atmosphere would be way more chill and less tense. He knew Kurt was going, seeing Rachel tagging him in her latest Instagram story that they were setting up the decorations together, trying to push the thoughts of the other boy to the back of his mind. The past few days his head had been pretty Kurt free, Sebastian consuming his thoughts, as well as his time with his Dalton friends and brother helping to distract him. He couldn’t let his ex start to dominate his mind again now. Rifling through his wardrobe, he grabbed an outfit similar to the one he had worn the previous night, just a little more colourful, with a mustard polo instead of navy. Looking down at the lacrosse hoodie he was currently wearing, he briefly thought about keeping it on for the evening before absolutely getting that thought out of his head, he didn’t have a death wish after all. After her first texts Rachel hadn’t bothered him again about Sebastian, clearly getting the message that he didn’t want to talk about it with her, but he didn’t want to give the intense brunette to get even more invested in his life. 

Quickly dressing himself, he put a little gel in his hair, getting used to wearing it a bit more like he used to; tamed down and fairly in place but the texture still natural, soft curls and waves rather than either a mop or cement on his head. Shuddering at the memory of the time Coach Sue had actually put cement in his hair (I mean seriously how the fuck was she allowed in a school?), he finished off his styling, grabbed his phone and went to Cooper’s room. 

“Hey, I’m ready to go now if that’s ok” he called out from the doorway – his brother had offered to drop him off and pick him up so Blaine could drink, the older Anderson saying that being sober was only guaranteed to make it worse so proposed his help. Blaine had to help him run some lines in return but honestly he usually found himself enjoying doing that anyway, so it wasn’t a hardship. Cooper jumped up and grabbed his keys, slapping Blaine on the shoulder as the two headed downstairs, shouting a goodbye to their parents and making their way to the car. The journey over to Rachel’s consisted of singing along to the radio, the two brothers yelling out lyrics to whatever song was playing, relaxing Blaine as he pushed down any anxieties. He did well with people, thrived off of company, was good in social environments and popular amongst the glee club kids, so he knew his insecurities were bigger than they should be. 

Cooper drove up outside the Berry residence, pulling up alongside the curb. Blaine checked himself in the mirror and took a deep breath; showtime.

~

“Oh my god remember when we were cheerios? I had legitimately blocked that from my memory Jesus Christ”. Blaine tilted his head back and laughed, Tina’s comment making him wobble where he was standing, memories of the two of them in the cheer squad coming back that had long been repressed. 

“I think I still have chafing from that uniform you know” he snorted, taking a large sip of his drink. “I have no idea how Sue isn’t in prison, for like, so many crimes.” The two of them were stood at the side of the room, leaning against a wall chatting away animatedly, going through old McKinley memories together, and laughing at the chaos in the room. When he arrived everyone else was already there, a large amount of the New Directions turning up thankfully, fleshing out the room so conversation was constant. He’d been let in by Kitty, the blonde girl sharply hugging him on arrival before leading him down to the basement, talking his ear off about some scandal on her college cheer team and immersing him straight into the party, dragging him over to talk to her and Marley for the first 10 minutes of him being there. He’d been approached by pretty much everyone, he was fairly popular after all, and along with Artie they bridged a lot of the gap between older and younger members, the two of them having the most friends across the ‘generations’. 

For the last half an hour he’d been with Tina, the two of them using the time to properly catch up in person, aside from their brief run in at the Lima Bean they’d been apart since October when she’d come to visit him and Sam in New York. So far the atmosphere was fun, he and Kurt stayed on opposite sides of the room, waving at each other amicably when he arrived but staying apart; the only time Kurt had looked as if he was going to come over he had grabbed Jake to talk to, knowing full well his ex wasn’t a fan of the younger Puckerman and was mildly afraid of him. Not the most mature of moves but he wanted to enjoy himself as much as possible, and frankly being passive aggressively spoken down on was not what he wanted. Giving Tina a light touch on the elbow and shaking his empty glass, he made his way on over to the makeshift bar, refilling his drink with an alcohol mixer ratio that was way off being advisable. 

“Frodo Baggins. You’re aware that I can see a hickey on your neck right?”. Blaine froze, bottle of rum held in the air as he finished pouring his drink but stood completely still at the sound of the voice. He coughed, and collected himself, putting down the bottle and shifting to look behind him, Santana leaning against the side with a shit eating grin on her face, perfect brow raised high and hip cocked. She looked him up and down, clicking her tongue and tapping her long acrylics on the table. “Have to say, I like the new look. Definitely better than the weird grandpa sweater vests and oil spill you had dripping off your head. Congrats Anderson.” Blaine scrunched his nose up – he liked his grandpa sweater vests after all. 

“Thanks Santana… I think. You’re looking good too, how are things with Britney?” he replied sweetly, wanting to turn the conversation away from his sex life as soon as possible. She reached out to pour herself a drink and looked down at Blaine, her stare intense. 

“They’re perfect, obviously. You and me both know that, don’t steer the conversation away. Plus, everyone in this room knows who you’ve been frenching, so denial is pointless.” Blaine’s eyes widened at that, confusion spreading across his face as Mercedes sang into her red cup on the stage, twirling her straw through her hand.

“W-what do you mean? Uh, w-who?” he stuttered, smooth as ever, knowing he was caught in the act.

Santana scoffed, flicking her long hair over her shoulder as she fixed Blaine with a pointed look. “We all follow your hot brother on Instagram, and we saw the photo of you two and Fievel out for lunch, you and him looking pretty cosy. Plus, Rachel spammed us all that she saw you at the Lima Bean, and as soon as I just mentioned him you just stared at the ground and blushed, proving my point.” Blaine groaned, leaning against side, Santana’s expression amused and relaxed, as she took a long drink. “Hey, no judgements from me, he’s hot and clearly is into you so who the fuck cares.” she shrugged, an honesty to her words which surprised Blaine; she had told him before that she actually liked Sebastian but hearing her approve of his fraternisation with him was something else. 

“Does everyone actually know or are you shitting me?” he asked, taking a drink, eyes drifting over to where Britney and Sugar were in a weird kind of dance off that just involved a lot of flailing arms, accompanied by Artie singing karaoke to a frankly offensive song. God he missed the Warblers. 

“Nah, they’re just all thinking it, Berry definitely spurring on some speculation but honestly it’s just gossip – you can’t hide from my Mexican third eye though” she said with a wink, before sauntering away to yank her girlfriend away from Sugar and probably make out in a dark corner or something. 

“Someone’s at the door, I’ll get it!” yelled Tina, scrambling away way too enthusiastically and bolting up the stairs. Huh, he didn’t know anyone else was coming? Thinking that maybe Ryder changed his mind or something he moved away from the bar, waving at Mike who looked very uncomfortable cornered by a drunk Mercedes going on about the importance of dental hygiene or something. He found his hand being tugged and Rachel standing next to him looking up with glazed eyes.

“Blaine Warbler! Duet time!” she crooned, eagerly pulling him towards the stage. Oh god no. Clingy drunk Rachel who was one tequila away from trying to make out with him is not what he needed right now – he was about 5 drinks deep so his ability to resist her grabbing him was pretty low, his legs wobbling and room swaying slightly. Suddenly, she stopped tugging him, staring directly behind him at the stairs which led down into the basement and gasped, emitting a _very_ loud squeal instead, causing everyone to turn round to see the reason for her frankly deafening noise. 

“Uh, hey guys!”. 

And oh my god it was _Sam_. His best friend stood there with a goofy smile on his face, his hand being held by Tina as she had led him in. 

“Sam? Oh my god I thought you were in Kentucky the whole break?” Blaine cried out, moving his way through the room to get to the blond who stayed at the top of the stairs. Yes, they lived together, and it had been barely a week, but he was fairly tipsy and missed his best friend like crazy so sue him he’s excited.

“Yeah bro I was supposed to, flying from New York to Kentucky to Ohio was way too pricey for me, but then a certain someone texted me and offered to pay for my flight here so I could help you stop being so miserable” he stated, grin splitting wide on his face, talking directly to Blaine although the majority of the room was listening in anyway, half caring about what he was saying, half drunk and having no clue what was even going on. Blaine furrowed his brow, confused at what had been said, he wasn’t _miserable_ , he was actually pretty happy, and who was even rich enough to pay for- 

Oh.

Sam reached through the exit door to the basement, tugging Sebastian through by his jumper, who looked physically pained to be brought into the room, taking Sam’s hand off him and smoothing out his clothes, eyes rolling at the excited labrador energy from the boy next to him.

“He was only supposed to get me from the airport and drop me off here but he literally paid for my flight so I thought the least I could do is invite him to come in and join us, I hope that’s ok Rachel!”. The hostess’ mouth had dropped open, staring dumbly at the interaction in front of her, the alcohol clearly delaying her reaction time as she just stood there, before blinking quickly and flashing a smile. 

“Of course! I’m so happy you’re here Sam!” she squealed, running over to give him a hug, followed by a quick nod to Sebastian who just stared at her with a raised eyebrow, hands his pockets looking thoroughly unimpressed. Everyone else in the room clearly didn’t care, all returning to their conversations and dancing, Rachel forgetting about her attempted duet with Blaine and instead making her way over to Kurt who had definitely looked happier. Sam strode over to Blaine, embracing him in a solid hug, the smaller boy squeezing tightly, still in shock to see him there. 

“Oh man I missed you” he said into his friends chest, before pulling away and bumping fists, letting the blond boy tousle his hair fondly, smiling over at Tina who looked like she was about to burst into tears. After greeting Sam and letting him make his way round to everyone else, Blaine looked up at Sebastian, who was leaning against the wall, looking a strange mix of both awkward and confident, loosely playing with his jumper. His heart swelled just looking at him, the realisation of what the boy had done hitting him like a wave – an act of kindness that had no selfish or untowardly motivation behind it, just to make him happy. The only thing he’d gotten out of it was this party, which for Sebastian was probably another sacrifice, but he had honestly never been happier to see him. They made eye contact and the taller boy actually blushed, looking embarrassed with the fact that he’d just been publicly outed as capable of kindness and having a heart. Blaine smiled warmly at him and lightly shook his head, making his way over to the bottom of the stairs where Sebastian leaned against the stairs. 

“You’re ridiculous, you know that right?” he said with a smile, looking up at the taller boy with soft eyes, his hands reaching out, lightly touching his fingers against Sebastian’s, a small, tender touch just for the two of them.

“Shut up”, Sebastian murmured, not meeting his eyes. “I knew how much you missed that ridiculous frat boy even though you literally live together, and I never got you anything for Christmas anyway, plus I had some spare cash after not flying first class back here, so…” he trailed off, hand scratching at the back of his neck. “Plus, now I get to be at what looks to be the worst party, not just in show choir history, but possibly ever, so that’s a big win for me.”

Blaine laughed at that, pulling them over to the bar and fixing Sebastian a drink, revelling in the way the taller boy gazed in disgust at the room, the New Directions all various stages of drunk and embarrassing themselves. Tina gave them a wave, and she winked at Sebastian who lifted his glass up and tipped it in her direction, the two of them clearly amicable with one another, Sebastian’s act of kindness towards Sam dissolving her concerns about the ex Warbler. 

“I guess all it takes to melt your cold dead heart is curly hair and doe eyes then.” Santana marched up to them, introducing herself with an insult for the second time in the night, Blaine rolling his eyes, at least she was sticking to her brand. Sebastian smirked at the sight of her, eyes flashing. 

“I guess I’m a nicer person than either one of us gave me any credit for – I’ll even refrain from insulting your hooker outfit as I’m feeling especially kind tonight” he returned, no heat behind either one of their words as they spoke, just teasing each other like siblings. He tried not to think about the time Mike said that Sebastian was a male Santana because oh god no he couldn’t handle that. 

“Such a gentleman Smythe. Shame all that money couldn’t get you a personality transplant, but fingers crossed for the future!” she grinned, flicking him lightly on the arm. “Come sing something with me before Berry goes up to butcher some song that Mercedes could slay in her sleep.” It was framed as a request not a question, as she lead Sebastian up to stage before he had time to protest, eyes just rolling as she shoved a microphone in his hand. As they launched into a way too sexualised version of Candyman, Sebastian looking painfully sober after only drink compared to the rest of the room, Blaine perched on the sofa, looking at him adoringly. 

He felt the furniture shift, and Kurt slid into the open seat next to him, fixing him with a look that he knew he wasn’t going to be able to escape from this time. Shit.

“So, Sebastian.” Kurt said coolly, the slight lift in pitch of his voice giving away his pretence of calm. The other boy’s intense dislike of Sebastian wasn’t just well known it was practically tattooed on his face, and the main reason Blaine didn’t actually invite him along, not wanting to add any more drama than necessary. Santana had already screamed in Spanish at both Artie and Sam for dating her girlfriend and he’s pretty sure Marley had been crying for a good 10 minutes as Jake awkwardly panicked beside her.

“Uh, yeah, we ran into each other on the plane over here and reconnected, he’s been a good friend” Blaine stated carefully, staring up at the duo singing, who were very aggressively shouting the words at each other and Blaine was more than a little turned on.

“Huh. Didn’t think Smythe had any friends” Kurt replied, face like stone and mouth twisting, staring at the performance in front of them. Blaine rolled his eyes, not wanting to get into a fight but wanting to fiercely protect Sebastian. 

“He’s still very close with all the Dalton boys, they’ve been friends for years” he snarked, turning to face Kurt. “And he’s a great friend to me, didn’t you hear what he just did for Sam? Don’t let your personal issues get in the way of this Kurt, we’re not together anymore so you can’t get possessive and controlling over stuff.” Blaine accented his sentence sharply, fists clenched at his side as he tried to control his anger towards his ex, he was never any good at concealing his emotions. 

“Please, I doubt he’s done a selfless thing in his life. He’ll just use you then dump you, a onetime screw to check off his list, a conquer he’s been waiting 4 years for. Surely you have better standards of yourself than that?” 

Blaine flinched, Kurt’s words bitter and cutting deep, voice raising slightly. Before he had the chance to respond, the sofa dipped the other side of him and Sebastian collapsed down on it, slightly flushed from performing, slinging an arm round Blaine’s shoulders, fingers lightly tracing his collarbone.

“His standards can’t be that high if he proposed to you now can they Hummel? Now why don’t you run along and stick your gay face in someone else’s business rather than make the best thing that will ever happen to you be reminded of your shitty existence. You had your chance, you fucked up your chance, and you never appreciated him enough. Blaine is quite literally the best person I have ever met, and just sitting next to him is a privilege, yet you constantly managed to undermine him and break down his confidence, jealous and insecure rather than adoring and proud. You were so jealous of your own boyfriend and you let that consume you, which in the end consumed him” Sebastian spoke, sounding calm and collected, but there was a bite under his words that cut through the air, leaning forward slightly over Blaine to put his face in front of Kurt. “I hope you have a good career and a nice life, and I hope I play absolutely no part in it, and I hope for Blaine’s sake neither does he, because he deserves better than you.”. 

The tension in the air was thick, Sebastian’s words hanging like knives above their heads, most people in the room oblivious to the exchange, but Sam, Tina, and Rachel all hovering nearby taking in his statement. Blaine felt himself burn up, a mixture of embarrassment at Sebastian’s fierce defending of him, but also a sense of exhilaration at the words he said, realising that he is proud of him and thinks that he’s worth something. Kurt remained silent, shell shocked at the verbal assault, but brusquely nodded and stood up, walking away to Mercedes in the corner, back turned to the rest of them. Rachel hurried over to them, hushed whispers coming from that side of the room. 

“Sorry killer, didn’t mean to make a scene” Sebastian muttered, turning to face Blaine, looking both angry and embarrassed, hand reaching out to lightly touch Blaine’s knee, thumb stroking gently. 

“No, it’s ok… no one’s ever defended me like that before… Thank you” he stuttered, hand closing over Sebastian’s, shaking softly. “Do you want to dance?” he blurted out to a surprised Sebastian, who looked around the room where most people were paired off slurring their words or mashing faces together. He wordlessly took a proper hold of Blaine’s hand and pulled him up off the sofa, leading him towards the middle of the room. Sebastian wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling him close and leaning their heads together, Blaine’s hands snaking around his neck as they softly swayed. He heard a mutter of “I knew they were fucking” from the side of the room, Kitty and Marley staring at them dancing, and a blush crept up his neck, but he didn’t care. Pressed up against Sebastian, gently swaying together whilst Santana and Britney serenaded each other with some girl in red song, he never wanted to move from that spot, feeling fingers lightly scrape against skin exposed as his polo rose up, and warm breath puffing on his face. The world was still, they were invisible to anything going on, he didn’t care about any hushed judgments or ignorant comments about Sebastian or his past, about the two of them together or his old relationship. Just being there, in his arms, was all he needed. 

Eventually, as it turned into the early hours of the morning, and people were either passed out across the furniture, or sobering up enough to realise they didn’t want to be there, the party died down, music quietened, and dancing ceased. Blaine and Sebastian had stayed pressed together in the middle of the room for the best part of an hour, muttering to one another and holding on tight, before Blaine gently untangled them and went to sit with Sam, the two catching up on their days apart. When it reached around 2am, Blaine felt a pat on his shoulder and Sebastian stood above him, after spending the past hour with Santana probably exchanging comments which would make Blaine’s grandma cry. 

“Hey killer, what you think about heading off soon? I only had one drink hours ago so I’m good to drive if you want a lift” he offered gently, tilting his head. He was clearly exhausted, Blaine thought, and had stayed in this shitty basement full of people who didn’t much like him very much for hours, a pang of guilt running through him as he gave an earnest nod. Sam stood up beside him, going over and giving Sebastian a fierce hug, squeezing tightly. 

“I’m gonna crash here tonight bro in Rachel’s spare room before spending tomorrow with Burt and Carol, but honestly, I can never thank you enough for this Sebastian, it’s so great to see everyone” Sam stated, eyes watering slightly as he let go, slapping him on the shoulder. Sebastian managed to spit out a quiet “Don’t worry about it”, before he headed towards the exit of the basement. Blaine turned back to Sam before he left, giving him a tight embrace and kiss on the cheek, promising to see each other the next day. He ran after Sebastian, meeting him at the top of the stairs and taking his hand as they left the house together. 

“We can stay at mine tonight, if you want?” Blaine offered, getting into the car. “My parents won’t mind, and you can stay for a famous Anderson breakfast?”. Sebastian grinned at that, starting the engine and starting the drive, eyes soft as he glanced at Blaine. 

“Sounds good to me, any excuse to see your bedhead again killer.”

The two shared a soft smile, setting into comfortable silence as they drove to the Anderson house, Blaine thinking that he couldn’t be happier if he tried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for reading, next chapter up tomorrow :) all the comments mean the world to me, i think there's gonna be 2 more chapters making it 10 total, nice round number. im killer-leo on tumblr if you wanna say hi x  
> (also i know the end of the chapter is sappy as shit im sorry lol)


	9. chapter nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> penultimate chapter! i haven't really planned out any of this fic at all i've just been writing it all in one go, so if there's any timeline/chronology discrepancies or if the days just don't add up im sorry! i wrote the plan for this chapter midway through writing chap 8 and it's literally 'sebastian is so in love it's disgusting. nick and sam have himbo energy'. 
> 
> thanks so much for reading though, i hope it all makes sense!!

Waking up beside Sebastian for the second day in a row felt like a luxury and a privilege, something he knew very few people had had the opportunity to do. Tucked under his arm and lying across his chest, Blaine was seeing the intimate, vulnerable version of the boy which was rarely allowed to come out, so often shrouded in emotional walls and blocks, hidden under unabashed confidence and fierce wit. He let his fingers dance along his chest, tracing freckles and beauty marks, ghosting light kisses across hard planes of muscle. Sebastian stirred underneath him, emitting a light purr as he wrapped his arms tighter around Blaine, dropping a kiss on his mess of curls as he slowly woke up, nuzzling in closer. 

“Anderson, I swear to god I’ll have to get a restraining order against you if you keep watching me sleep.”

Blaine chuckled throatily, placing open mouthed kisses against Sebastian’s neck, trailing a line up to behind his ear, as the taller boy tilted his head back allowing more skin to be exposed. He kissed along his jawline, slowly inching closer towards Sebastian’s lips as he teased him, fingers dragging over hipbones and ribs, lightly scratching at the flesh. 

“You sure you want me to stay away from you?” Blaine purred, dragging his tongue on Sebastian’s pulse point and gently running a nail over his nipple, causing a rough groan to escape the other boys lips, pushing their hips together, both hardening in their underwear. Just as Sebastian rolled forwards and started snaking a hand underneath Blaine’s waistband, the door to the bedroom slammed open, causing the two boys to jump apart. 

“Good morning promiscuous young adults!” announced Cooper, grinning at the two of them in bed. 

“Jesus fucking _Christ_ Coop what are you doing?” Blaine yelled, as Sebastian grabbed a decorative pillow from the bed and lobbed it at him, flipping him off with the other hand.

“Just wanted to say hey to my baby bro, after he very loudly entered our sacred family home in the early hours of the morning with a gentleman along with him” Cooper replied, leaning against the door frame and waggling his eyebrows at the two in bed. Blaine groaned and lay back down in bed, hands on his face as he cursed his whole life and existence. Sebastian didn’t seem to care as much, lazily staring at Cooper whilst propped up in the bed, more annoyed that his potential orgasm had been ruined rather than embarrassed.

“Don’t be jealous just because you’re involuntarily celibate – do you not have anything better to do than to rudely interrupt your brother’s sex life?” he questioned, eyebrow raised at the older Anderson whilst Blaine dramatically rolled over. Cooper laughed and tossed back the pillow which had been so lovingly chucked at him. 

“Was just on my way out for the day and thought I’d get you up, mom is making breakfast downstairs and she said it would be lovely if you both graced her with your presence. I have a girl I went to high school with to go and flirt with, see you later boys, use protection!” he smirked before heading off downstairs, leaving the door wide open. Blaine felt his stomach growl, his hunger overtaking any previous arousal he had before his brother had absolutely crushed his dream of morning sex. He turned back over to face Sebastian, pressing a light kiss to the boy’s lips, before sitting up in the bed. 

“I am starving, and my mom’s pancakes are frankly awesome, so breakfast doesn’t sound like a bad idea” he suggested, giving his best ‘puppy dog’ eyes and sticking out his lower lip in what he hoped was convincing and adorable.

“Yeah yeah alright, no need to hit me with the big guns killer” Sebastian chuckled, kissing Blaine’s cheek lightly before slowing making his way out of bed, grabbing his clothes from the night before and pulling them on, luckily his outfit was comfortable and casual anyway, only originally putting it on to get Sam from the airport. Blaine followed suit, getting up and putting on some sweats and the Dalton lacrosse hoodie to its’ owners delight. He padded over to Sebastian, wrapping his arms round his waist, breathing in his scent and nestling his cheek against his chest. 

“I can’t thank you enough for what you did for Sam, he wanted to be able to come to Ohio over the holidays and see all of us, and visit Carol and Burt, and thanks to you he managed to. I know you did it cos you thought it would make me happy, and I cannot express how much it did, because me and Sam have separation problems, but the fact you helped my best friend just means the whole world to me” he spoke, words muffled as his mouth was smashed against Sebastian’s chest. He received a tight squeeze in return, and a kiss atop his head, which he knew was appreciation for his thanks; Sebastian had a silver tongue and quick wit but often struggled to verbalise his emotional thoughts as articulately as he would’ve liked. Detangling from one another, Blaine lightly grabbed Sebastian’s hand and pulled him out the bedroom, moving downstairs for a family breakfast.

~

“Pam, _wow_ , these are amazing” Sebastian moaned, beginning to devour the pancakes in front of him, both he and Blaine sat around the kitchen table shovelling food in their mouths. Pam chuckled, pouring him a glass of orange juice and setting it down, affectionately placing a hand atop his shoulder. 

“Thank you sweetie, Blaine tells me you lived in Paris so I’m sure they don’t compare to what you had over there.” she smiled, tutting at Blaine’s embarrassed eye roll, to the amusement of Sebastian. 

“They’re different, but certainly not any better than this – plus, they’re always the best when homemade from a beautiful woman” he smoothly replied, flashing her his winning smile, Pam crooning in response and blushing at his compliment. Blaine sat quietly as the two continued back and forth, watching the domestic scene in front of him. Never in a million years would he have thought he’d be sat in his kitchen, watching Sebastian Smythe charm his mother whilst eating pancakes, lips chapped from kissing the other boy for hours. His heart fluttered and toes curled uncontrollably – he was a hopeless romantic and this disgustingly sweet moment made him unbearably happy. Before long breakfast was finished, Sebastian again clearing the table and helping to wash up without blinking, leaving Blaine looking useless, the charming bastard. As Sebastian stood over the sink scrubbing dishes, sleeves pushed up his forearms, Pam walked over to Blaine, eyes glinting as she lightly kissed her son’s cheek and squeezed his arm. 

“I think he really likes you honey, don’t let him go alright?” she whispered in his ear, her knowing gaze fixing him pointedly as she stared back and forth between the two boys in her kitchen, Blaine’s cheeks warming up at her statement. As she patted his arm and walked out the room, leaving the two of them alone, Sebastian cleaned the last of the dishes and wiped his hands, tugging his sleeves back down his arms. He turned and looked at Blaine, who stood at the side of the room fingers shyly wringing together. 

“You wanna go for a drive or something killer?” Sebastian asked quietly, gesturing with his head towards the door as he crossed his arms over his chest. Blaine grinned and nodded, eyes wrinkling as he smiled and walked over to drag Sebastian out the kitchen and to the car.

~

The vehicle sped along the highway, Sebastian with one hand on the wheel and the other propped up by the window, fingers absentmindedly tapping along to the quiet radio in the background. Blaine found his eyes drifting to his tousled hair, sticking out a little oddly rather than the usual perfect coifed style, softly laying against his forehead and framing his face delicately. Relaxed and carefree, he was driving lazily, humming slightly under his breath and waving his head along with the music with the slightest of movements – Blaine thought he looked perfect. Dragging his gaze away from Sebastian’s face, he peered out the window, recognising the buildings that were going past as they turned down a more private road.

“Are we going where I think we’re going?” he asked slowly, as trees raced by and houses got fewer and far between. 

“…Maybe…” Sebastian smirked, guilty smile on his face as the car slowed slightly, taking a left turn and pulling into the open, exposing the large stately building in front of them. 

“And why exactly are we at Dalton?”. Blaine’s eyes followed the path up as they pulled into the almost empty carpark, the school broken up for the holidays. Sebastian drove into an empty space, parking near the lacrosse field to the side of the building, the grounds vacant.

“Well I’ve had enough shitty coffee to last me til next Christmas, and there isn’t exactly much to do around here that won’t end in a hate crime or suicidal tendencies, so I thought we’d go to the one acceptable place in a 50 mile radius” he said, turning to face Blaine and with an amused look on his face, before getting out the car and ambling over to the field. Blaine scrambled out after him, jogging to catch up with the other’s long legs, and entwining their hands when they walked side by side. He’d never really been on the lacrosse pitch before, preferring his exercise in the gym and staying inside the walls of Dalton for most of his stay, more concerned with the library and the Warblers than running around with a net at the end of a stick. He appreciated their uniforms at least.

“See this is where I scored a lot of very cool goals in my two years at Dalton, and it was _super_ sexy let me assure you. Pretty sure Jeff wanted to jump my bones for a week when I did an aerial flip into a goal one time in senior year” Sebastian gloated, swinging their hands between them as they ambled across the grass, heading over to bleachers where they sat together, knees and arms pressed into one another to fight the cold. Blaine leant his head down on the taller boy’s shoulder, inhaling his musky cologne and the almost sweet smell of his laundry detergent, nuzzling his cheek into his sweater. 

“I’m gutted I missed it, I would’ve seen you if you played at McKinley, I was co-captain of the cheerleading team for a while” he admitted, suppressed memories of red polyester and thongs making him shudder involuntarily. Sebastian dramatically gasped next to him, clasping a hand over his heart and groaning loudly. 

“You were a cheerleader? Do you actually want to make me die from being too turned on? Do you? It’s going to take me 3 years minimum to get those images out of my head killer” Sebastian announced, jabbing a finger into his chest, before wrapping an arm round his shoulder and pulling him in, resting his head on Blaine’s. The shorter boy sat grinning, peaceful in Sebastian’s arms as they laughed together, gazing out on the empty field, a light layer of mist covering the grass, the air crisp and quiet, enveloping them in a serene peacefulness rare in their lives. They sat in silence for a moment, not wanting to disrupt the tranquillity and comfort of the moment, simply enjoying being able to hold another and be apart from the rest of the world. Warmth settling deep in Blaine’s heart, he mustered up some courage inside of him, peering up through his lashes to look at Sebastian. 

“When do you go back to New York?” he asked, coming out as just above a whisper, the question thick with unsaid connotations, the mention of the future something new to them both. Sebastian sighed next to him, dragging his thumb across Blaine’s knuckles lightly, knees knocking together as their feet crossed over one another’s, bodies melting together. 

“4 days from now. I, uh, booked a pretty short trip as I didn’t think I had much to be here for, and have a pile of coursework waiting for me back at my apartment, so…” he trailed off, voice low and quiet, fingers drumming anxiously. Blaine sighed out, he knew his days ahead were fairly busy, plans with family and friends which had been thought up weeks ago, before he knew that his whole life would be turned upside down by the ex-Dalton boy. “You know Columbia and NYU are pretty close in the city though” Sebastian continued, lifting his head off Blaine’s shoulder and turning his face, gently lifting up his chin so that they were looking in each other’s eyes. “And I don’t actually hate your roommate so if you ever wanted to invite me round I feel like I would probably say yes.”

Coming from Sebastian, who was as Cooper said – emotionally stunted -, that was almost a declaration of love in Blaine’s eyes, the simple admission that he wanted to keep on seeing him meaning it wasn’t just something to keep him occupied whilst back in a town he hated. He beamed up at him, unable to stop his face splitting with happiness, knowing that his feelings were reciprocated, and he hadn’t been fooling himself for the past week. They’d only been reconnected for such a short period of time, but they just slotted together so perfectly, conversation effortless and attraction inevitable, complimenting one another almost stereotypically well. 

“I’ll be back in the city in under 2 weeks” Blaine stated, eyes wide and cheeks pink. “If you wanted to be my welcome home present I would probably say yes”. 

That caused an amused eye roll from Sebastian, who leaned in and pressed their lips together gently, hand on his cheek bringing them closer. 

They stayed out on the field for a while, kissing on the bleachers and racing one another on the track. Sebastian was infuriatingly fast, leaving Blaine in the dust every time, who just grumbled about it being unfair as he had shorter legs. That was rewarded with him being picked up and thrown over Sebastian’s shoulder, running around with him in his arms until they fell to the ground, laughing and wincing. As the air started to cool even further and sun lowered in the sky causing a slight orange glow across the pitch, they headed back to the car, lips swollen from kisses and bodies bruised from wrestling on the ground. Blaine had promised Sam an evening of video games and Sebastian had agreed to help Meatbox learn how to get out of parking tickets, so they set off home before it got dark. 

Sebastian dropped Blaine off at his house, kissing him on the porch before he left, arms gripped around his waist and the hint of tongue. He drove off, leaving Blaine grinning hopelessly outside the front door, butterflies in his stomach and warmth in his heart. 

~

“Bro I shit you not the cat _laughed_ at me when I fell over. It was definitely alien or a cyborg or something, I think Hunter must’ve bought him from a mad scientist.”

Nick was in the middle of convincing Sam that Mr Puss, Hunter’s cat, was evil and wanted to overthrow the Warblers as the three of them sat in Blaine’s living room playing Smash Bros, beers and pizza in front of them. At first it was just Sam over, the blond having spent the day with Burt and Carol and wanting to catch up with Blaine, but after Nick texted his old Dalton friend asking if he wanted to hang out, Sam eagerly agreed to have him over. It was nice, Blaine thought, to have his worlds colliding, two of his closest friends getting on together like a house on fire, both sweet guys who often got way too excited and usually confused – it was like he was in a frat house with the two of them. 

“All evil guys gotta have their creepy little mascots man, and that dude was James Bond villain level. Maybe the cat was a witch?” Sam pondered, shoving a slice of pizza in his mouth as he spoke, his face scrunched up thinking hard, thoughts of Mr Puss and Sabrina the Teenage Witch running through his head. “Blaine where’s your boyfriend anyway? I have like a lifetime of hugs to give that dude.”

Blaine took a sip of beer and scratched the back of his head, “Sebastian’s with Meatbox doing something that will definitely not help him get into the Good Place”. He played with the hem of his hoodie (Sebastian’s hoodie, which desperately needed a wash), and looked down at his feet, murmuring almost beneath his breath, “He’s not my boyfriend anyway, we haven’t, like, spoken about that stuff.”

Nick narrowed his eyes, mid-way through munching down on two pizza slices smushed together. “So you’re just fucking and staring into each other’s eyes and having breakfast with your mom and re-enacting scenes from a rom-com in the middle of a lacrosse field at the place you first met, and you’re not dating?” Sam nodded in agreement, silently extending a fist out which Nick bumped seamlessly, both of them staring at Blaine like he had gone crazy, and wow he needed to stop introducing people he cared about to one another cos it only ends in him being targeted.

“I don’t know guys, it’s only been a few days we haven’t exactly sat down to have a deep chat about all this stuff, he’s pretty guarded with his emotions and doesn’t always want to verbalise things, I don’t want to push him away” Blaine admitted, cradling his drink in his hand and avoiding the stares of his friends. 

“So have you like, talked about being exclusive?” Sam asked, tilting his head to the side, pausing game properly and swivelling so his legs were tucked under him on the sofa, facing Blaine fully. “That’s usually a good place to start, you don’t wanna find out he’s been dicking down other dudes, that would suck.” Blaine drew a sharp intake of breath; he’d never even thought about _that_? Sure, his time with Sebastian so far had been personal, intimate, and they hadn’t even had sex yet properly, only drunken hooking up where they hadn’t managed to go the whole way. But doubts and insecurities came creeping in his mind – yes Sebastian said he wanted to meet up in New York, but he didn’t specify if that was as friends or anything more? Kurt’s words echoed in his ear, his ex warning him that Sebastian was just using him. He knew that he meant more to him than that, but his last relationship tainted any confidence he could have, the years he spent with Kurt slowly chipped away at his feelings of control or being respected. His face shone with worry, biting his bottom lip and brow furrowed as his head ran with destructive thoughts.

Nick reached out and clasped his shoulder, drawing Blaine’s attention to him. “Stop freaking out, Sam doesn’t mean he’s actually out there fucking other guys.” Sam opened his mouth to talk but Nick swatted him with his free hand across the chest, muttering a “dude shut your big ass mouth”. He sighed and fixed Blaine with a stare, eyes sympathetic yet firm. “Just maybe you should talk about what you both want, especially before you’ll be in different parts of the country for a week or so, otherwise you can’t really be on the same page, right? Any idiot can see you’re crazy about each other, so pull yourself together and talk to the damn boy, he may be seriously lacking in the whole ‘talking-about-your-feelings-like-a-human-being’ department, but I’m pretty sure that preppy asshole would do anything for you.” Nick was blunt and direct, patting Blaine on the back and letting the words sink in, before turning back to the screen and starting up a smash brawl with Sam, allowing Blaine to sit and acknowledge what had been said, and his own feelings. He glanced down at his phone, several texts having gone unread.

  
**from Sebastian**  
ok meatbox now knows how to better avoid the law now, so ive definitely just confirmed my spot in the Bad Place

**from Sebastian**  
we’re just watching some old football games like Real Men, i think I can feel myself becoming straight? might change my name to chad, or blake

**from Coope** r  
where’s your boyfriend he hasn’t texted me back all day? what if he died?

**from Tina**  
Blaineeee I miss and love you xxx also I definitely heard Kurt brainstorming some homicidal ideas last night revolving around Sebastian so that’s fun! xxx

**from Sebastian**  
I miss you. Is that embarrassing? I don’t know how to text in a nice way without being a dick but I miss you

Blaine’s fingers traced over the last text, the words “I miss you” leaping off the screen, burning themselves into his eyes, just those three words calming his head from the anxious mess it had just thrown itself into. He grabbed his drink and took a sip, chuckling at his friends yelled insults and trash talk as they played, settling back into the sofa. He typed out a reply to Sebastian, smile on his face as he sent the message. 

**from Blaine**  
you’re emotionally stunted. I miss you too x

~

It had just passed midnight, and Blaine had sent his two friends packing, deciding that after Nick’s vivid re-enactment of when he and Sebastian had made the Warblers learn Lady Marmalade (and the performance was _quickly_ banned by the headmaster), it was time for him to go to bed, and for them to leave his house before they tainted it anymore. He also made a mental note to get Sebastian to perform that for him… for _personal_ reasons. Making his way across his room, he stripped down to his boxers and got into bed, deciding to forgo showering until the morning, wanting to just cocoon himself in his duvet instead. Being in bed alone, as opposed to the previous two nights where he and Sebastian had slept together, he ached for the touch of the other boy, missing being able to reach out and feel his body in the night, drag his fingers against skin and wrap his arms around him. They’d only been reconnected as friends for a week, and only become more than that for a few days, but he just couldn’t shake how _right_ it all felt, how he felt challenged and passionate but still assured and peaceful, a lot of his doubts surrounding them stemming from other people’s comments and perceptions, not from anything Sebastian had done. In fact, as he recalled their interactions from the past few days, the realisation of everything Sebastian had done for him set in. Flying in Sam, defending him against Kurt, providing him someone to talk to and confide in, even driving to Dalton where he knew Blaine felt happy; he had been the most selfless person in his life and did it all in his stride, never once making Blaine feel unworthy. Heart pounding, he sat up in bed, grabbing his discarded clothes and shoving them on, nearly falling over as he yanked his chinos up his legs and stumbled to pick up his keys and phone. Reckless decisions and grand gestures were kind of his thing, he thought, and he knew that sleep just wasn’t going to happen when these thoughts of Sebastian were racing through his mind.

He _needed_ to see him. He _needed_ to tell him how he felt, how he wanted to be with him, and how much he appreciated everything that Sebastian had done for him, and just how fucking incredible he is. 

Racing down the stairs, he stumbled out the door, giddy with adrenaline and heart racing with emotion, getting into his car and pulling away. He’d never driven to Sebastian’s before, but he roughly remembered where it was from his one-time stay there, racing down the roads (only _just_ above the speed limit because he was still a responsible gentleman) as he recollected street names and shops, mapping out the journey to the Smythe residence in his head. Luckily they lived close, and after 20 minutes of frantic – but still fairly safe because Blaine did not want to die right now thank you – driving he pulled up outside the large house, behind 3 very expensive looking cars. Deeply inhaling, he composed himself and clambered out the car, striding up to the front door and knocking sharply. He quickly panicked and hoped that it was Sebastian who was going to open it, as explaining to the district attorney that he was here to talk about his feelings with his gay son at nearly 1am didn’t sound like a fun conversation to have. Luckily, the door was pulled open a moment later by Sebastian himself, dressed down in sweats and a worn in t-shirt, hair fluffy and natural. He looked like he was approaching going to bed but not quite there yet, a confused expression on his slightly rumpled face as he took in Blaine before him, borderline vibrating outside his house. 

“Blaine? What you doing here it’s nearly 1 in the morning? Are you ok?” he asked, eyes darting up and down, checking his body for any injury or reason for visit. Blaine smiled at the concern on his face, reassuring to know that he would feel worry for him, and walked into the house, closing the door behind him. 

“I just… I just wanted to talk to you, could we go upstairs?” he asked, suddenly feeling exposed as he stood in the large open space of Sebastian’s reception area, rubbing at his arm self-consciously. 

“Sure, just don’t tell me you killed someone, and we need to hide the body because I _will_ help you do it no questions asked and I am just way too pretty to go to jail Anderson.” Blaine chuckled and grabbed the other boys hand, leading him upstairs up to his bedroom, where they had spent their first night together. They walked in silence, Sebastian slightly sleepy and dragging his feet whilst Blaine was borderline bouncing off the walls, taking him into the room and shutting it behind him. Once the door was closed, he turned around and fixed Sebastian with a pointed stare.

“Sebastian, I like you. And only you. And I just can’t stop thinking about you – your smile, your eyes, your weird tendency to nod your head excessively when you talk or that sometimes in your sleep you say stuff in French. You help out my best friend to make me happy, and you hold my hand not caring who sees us. Ever since we first met all you’ve done is support me, cheering me on stage, giving me compliments, being supportive even if we were competing against one another. The last few days with you have turned my world completely fucking upside down and I don’t want to be apart from you. Everything about you leaves me wanting more, craving you and craving how you make me feel good about myself rather than the insecure mess I was with Kurt. I don’t know what you want from this, what you want us to be, but I couldn’t go a single minute longer without telling you that I want this, and I want you.”

Blaine stood panting, his outburst exploding from his mouth, words tripping over one another as he poured his heart out one letter at a time, hands moving animatedly as he spoke, eyes wide and face frantic. Sebastian stood before him, mouth slightly agape and completely still, uncharacteristically quiet as his brain processed the information being told to him. They both stood, staring at each other as neither one moved or broke the silent tension that hung in the air. Suddenly, Sebastian strode towards him, placed his hands on Blaine’s cheeks and pulled him into a fierce kiss, crashing their lips together as he pressed their bodies against one another. He deepened it slightly, teeth grazing along Blaine’s lower lip before he pulled back, pupils blown wide. 

“No one has ever appreciated me before… no one like you have” he spoke, quiet but calmly, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy and pressing his lips against his curls, talking into them so his voice was slightly muffled. “You deserve, absolutely everything in this world. More than I can give you, but I want to try. You make me want to be a better person, someone you would want to be seen with, not just someone people look to for a good fuck and a snarky comment. People haven’t treated you right B, and although you’re way too good for me, I know your worth and I know how incredibly fucking special you are and I would never let that slip through my fingers, or make you feel less than you should.” His words were soft, speaking into Blaine’s hair, as he knew that baring his emotions like that was foreign to the taller boy, his mouth finding his way around the words as he believed what he said but didn’t quite know how to say it. “I’ve never had a boyfriend before. I’ve never even been exclusive, or dated someone properly, so I don’t know how to do this” Sebastian admitted, pulling back slightly and tilting his head down to meet Blaine’s eyes. “I’ll probably fuck up a little sometimes, and not always do the perfect thing, but I want to try, for you.”

Blaine’s toes curled and eyes widened, the ends of his lips turning up slightly. “Sebastian Smythe, are you asking me to be your boyfriend?” he asked, his voice coy and slightly teasing, seeing the nerves and embarrassment in the other’s eyes. 

“Well that all depends on what you would answer with now doesn’t it?”. The taller boy fiddled with a curl at the base of Blaine’s neck, eyes raking across his face, taking in every wrinkle, patch of hair, and light freckle that decorated the skin.

“You know what? I think I’d say yes.” Blaine replied, grinning widely at the smile that broke out on Sebastian’s face, as he pushed forwards and slotted their lips together, gripping onto each other’s bodies tightly in a fierce embrace. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks so much for reading and for all the lovely comments! that lady marmalade line is in there cos i once had a weird daydream about it and couldn't get the idea of the warblers doing it out of my head for days.  
> my tumblr is killer-leo if you wanna say hi, stay safe everyone!


	10. chapter ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> last chapter!! so writing endings is super hard it turns out, i wrote this immediately after chapter 9 and just wrote what came to mind, like i said not much of this was really planned out, all i wanted was a soft sappy ending lol. it felt right to end where it did, as i feel like them in new york is just too separate from this story, so i didn't want to tag on bits and it not feel right?
> 
> ANYway, thank you to everyone who's read this, it's my first ever fic and i super enjoyed it, only really writing it to keep me busy and play around with characters i love (rather than start my dissertation lol) but all the comments have been so lovely it's honestly made it so much better! hope you enjoy xx

Blaine stood at the airport departures terminal, following the back of Sebastian’s head as he walked away towards his gate, glancing round one last time for a final smile and wave before disappearing round the corner. They had just made it in time for him to catch is flight, Blaine secretly wishing he’d miss it so he’d spend another day with him in Ohio, but decided to make the mature decision to let his boyfriend not have to spend hundreds of dollars for no reason. Taking a deep breath as he turned to make his way out the airport, he reminded himself that it was under 2 weeks before they’d see each other again, and he had made numerous plans in that time to keep himself distracted from missing Sebastian too much, the thought of such a time apart after the holiday they had spent together making him feel sick with loneliness. He knew it was slightly ridiculous; it wasn’t a long period of time and they’d only actually been dating for 4 days, but time with Sebastian just felt perfect, never dull but not wearisome, full of passion and laughter which released tension and anxiety from his body. His calendar was crammed with coffee dates, lunches, cinema trips and walks with his friends, wanting to make the most of his time left by ensuring he catches up with as many people as possible, not just to fill the void of Sebastian. 

Their last 4 days together had been pure bliss; although not free the whole time they managed to see each other as much as possible, craving one another’s company before being torn apart. There was a memorable lunch with Nick, Jeff, and Sam, the latter being slightly confused the entire time as Warbler stories were often brought up, but he and Blaine recounted their mildly embarrassing superhero anecdotes to the entertainment of the table. He had asked afterwards if he was fifth wheeling a double date to which Blaine had no real reply, just shrugging and informing Sam of Nick and Jeff’s secret will-they-won’t-they relationship everyone pretended not to know about. Cooper had obviously forced his presence upon his brother and his boyfriend, which despite their complaining was one of the best days they had – Sebastian torn between being utterly done with everything that came out of Cooper’s mouth and enjoying the older Anderson’s dramatic stories and overeager attitude. Blaine’s parents even made Sebastian come back for a family dinner one night, bombarding him with hugs and anecdotes about their son’s childhoods which were met with a lot of resistance on Blaine’s behalf.

New Years’ had been spent at Jeff’s house, just before Sebastian left for New York, all the ex-Warblers’ in attendance in a night full of drinking, awful singing, and Blaine finally getting to see the Lady Marmalade performance featuring Nick as Mya, Thad as Lil Kim, Jeff as P!nk, and Sebastian as Christina. Let’s just say he understood why it was banned by the headteacher as holy shit that choreography was not appropriate for high school children. He didn’t complain toooo much at his boyfriend dancing burlesque though. Kissing Sebastian at midnight surrounded by their friends, cheering and champagne around them, smiling against each other’s mouths as Blaine was dipped down low by his boyfriend felt natural, a combination of a magical romanticism and a real, grounded happiness that felt permanent. They had spent the night attached to one another, arms around shoulders, kisses on any exposed skin, hands entwined as they drank and sang a surprisingly tuneful version of Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.

Getting into his car to drive back home, Blaine smiled at the memories of the past few days, the slight disbelief that Sebastian Smythe was actually his boyfriend still fresh in his head. They hadn’t gone Facebook official or anything like that, deeming that unnecessary and performative, but each one had shared a post on Instagram of them together, silently confirming their relationship status. Kurt had liked then immediately unliked it, Sebastian just laughing at the pettiness of the act, no threat or concern there. Blaine started the engine and set off back to his house, mind flooded with happy memories of his boyfriend, and heart full with the knowledge that he’d be waiting for him when he got back to New York.

~

The following days passed quicker than Blaine thought they would, his full schedule forcing time to fly past, preoccupied with brunch with his parents, walking in the park with Tina, even making himself work out with Jake which was a choice he regretted heavily the next morning, muscles aching. He and Sebastian called every day, not obsessively but just to catch one another up, and hear the familiar sounds of each other’s voices; Blaine filled him in on who he had seen and what TV he had watched, recounting the packed nature of his day. Sebastian meanwhile told him about the coursework he was powering through, teaching Blaine about different laws, litigations, and case studies he was looking at, taking the time to explain everything so that his boyfriend could understand. It was manageable, being apart. Blaine felt more confident in this fledgling relationship than he had felt in the entirety of his last, not having to worry when his texts weren’t immediately answered or Sebastian wasn’t available, as he was secure in their trust and knew it was healthy to have their own time, and that he wasn’t going to be made to feel insecure or selfish. 

It was the day before his flight back to New York, and he sat with Nick in his bedroom as he continued packing up his stuff; Sam had gone back to Kentucky a few days after Sebastian had left, and Cooper had jet off back to LA the day before, as the holiday drew to a close and people left their hometown back to regular life. 

“So is he meeting you from the airport or what? I know you physically cannot go any longer without seeing your preppy boyfriend.” Nick asked, lounging on Blaine’s bed and watching him neatly put clothes into a suitcase, unhelpfully providing a running commentary of superior folding technique, occasionally flicking over stranded garments. 

“He actually has to go into Columbia the time I arrive, as he has a meeting with a lecturer or something, so he’s coming over to the apartment a few hours after I’m back instead. Sam isn’t in the city for another few days, so we’ll have the place to ourselves which is nice.”

Nick scoffed, tossing over a jumper which was discarded on the bed. “Lucky Sam, bet he’s happy he gets to miss the inevitable hours of reunion sex the two of you’ll have all over the apartment, he’ll probably throw bleach on every surface as soon as he’s back.” Blaine flipped him off, standing up to zip his final case closed, sufficed with the luggage he packed away.

“It’ll be nice to be in our own space for a little bit – back here in Ohio it just felt a little weird you know? Being in our parents homes, childhood bedrooms, and the old high school environments with high school people; it’ll be nice to actually feel a little older again. I mean don’t get me wrong I’m gonna miss my mums cooking a lot, but New York is home for me right now.”. He walked over to the bed, sitting beside Nick and taking in his room, old concert posters and ticket stubs decorating the walls, trophies and accolades on shelves, reminders of his pre-teen and teenaged self surrounding him. His room in New York wasn’t exactly grown up, he had a Star Wars figurine or two lying around and a small comic collection on his bookshelf, but it was a place he had curated himself, a display of him right now in his life, without painful memories that he tried to repress. Nick stirred next to him, glancing at his phone and firing off a quick text, before standing up from the bed and straightening out his clothes. 

“Alright buddy, I gotta run – saying bye to Jeff before he flies off to Illinois tomorrow. Try and sleep tonight don’t just lie there vibrating like you’re expecting Santa the next morning.” Blaine rolled his eyes and stood up to give his friend a hug, clasping him tightly and patting him on the back. 

“Seriously man, it’s been so good to catch up with you again. I hate how we kinda drifted apart the last few years, having you back in my life properly is just awesome.”. Nick squeezed him slightly, before letting go and lightly punching his arm. 

“Hey, once a Warbler always a Warbler right? Especially if you’re Blaine Anderson.” With that, they exchanged a final smile and fist bump, before Nick turned and left his room, shouting a goodbye to Blaine’s parents before heading out the front door.

~

His flight had been pretty smooth, making it with plenty of time to spare and managing to nap for several hours during, this time resting his head against the plastic of the window rather than Sebastian’s shoulder. Now settled into a cab on the way back to his apartment, Blaine felt the rising anticipation of seeing Sebastian bubble in his stomach, the prospect of their new chapter together, both in New York, making him borderline giddy with excitement. He felt himself bouncing his legs up and down, fingers drumming against his thighs as the taxi crawled through the city traffic, slight spattering of rain decorating the windows. Sebastian had said he would be able to stop by around 6pm, and the time currently marked nearly 3, so he had a few hours to maybe bake something, tidy up whatever residual mess Sam had left behind, and hide anything which could be possibly embarrassing. He had missed their little apartment more than he had realised he would, their mismatched collection of thrift store furniture, bits and pieces they’d picked up from the sidewalk or found abandoned. Sebastian lived in a studio further downtown that his dad had given him for his 19th birthday (he seriously was such a rich bastard it was ridiculous) so he knew in comparison his shitty, cheap shoebox of a home was probably a little sad, but it was his and he loved it. The fact that his boyfriend didn’t have a roommate was very exciting however, giving them a little more privacy without having to worry about Sam being in the next room trying desperately not to listen in – the blond would probably come in and congratulate them afterwards thinking that would make it less weird when it most certainly would not. The cab arrived at the apartment a little earlier than expected, traffic less gridlocked than usual and the driver making quick progress. Blaine hauled his suitcases out the trunk and tipped him heavily, before dragging his luggage into the apartment building and the elevator. Humming absentmindedly as he went up, he fished his keys out his pocket as the doors opened and he made his way over to his apartment, lugging his cases behind him. The fatigue from travelling had started to set in as he pushed his keys into the lock, looking forward to collapsing on the sofa for a bit before preparing to get his apartment ready. As he made his way in, he pulled the cases through the entrance way and closed the door behind him, dropping the luggage on the floor with a groan. Suddenly, a crash came from the kitchen, Blaine jumping at the sound of the abrupt noise, stopping a scream from escaping his lips as all the ways he was going to get murdered ran through his head. 

“Shitshitshit” he heard from the kitchen, a string of expletives coming from round the corner followed by another crash, sounding like a bowl toppling over. Blaine stopped his arm reaching for an umbrella propped by the door to use as a pretty ineffective weapon, recognising the sound of the voice which was currently cursing very explicitly. He made his way tentatively through the apartment, peering round into the kitchen.

“Sebastian?”. 

His boyfriend yelped out and dropped what he was holding, jumping around to face Blaine, eyes wide and hand over his heart in shock. 

“Jesus fucking Christ Blaine you gave me a heart attack! How did you come in so quietly?”. 

“You? You’re in my apartment I thought someone was here to murder me” Blaine exclaimed, mouth turning up into a smile as Sebastian looked embarrassed in front of him, hand scratching the back of his head as his eyes drifted to the kitchen counters which had seemingly been attacked with food. 

“Uh, surprise?” he offered weakly, guilty smile on his face as looked at his boyfriend. Blaine broke out into a grin and launched himself over, jumping into Sebastian’s arms and wrapping his legs round his waist, gripping on for dear life. They stumbled back a little, but the taller boy supported him in his arms and held him close, nose nuzzling into his neck and inhaling his familiar scent. Blaine pressed kisses along his jawline, attacking exposed skin with the small closed mouth pecks, hands tightly wrapped in the back of his sweater. He pulled back slightly, fixing Sebastian with a pointed look. 

“You didn’t break into my apartment did you?”. Sebastian laughed and set Blaine down slowly, planting his feet back on the floor and leaning against the counter. “No killer, I didn’t break into your apartment – the door was literally locked when you just sneaked in dumbass. Sam, uh, gave me his key to borrow before I left, I asked him if I could have it so I could surprise you when you arrived. You were supposed to get here a bit later, and I was supposed to have made you cookies, but clearly everything went a little tits up, so…” he trailed off, slight redness in his cheeks. Blaine’s heart melted, Sebastian’s usual casual and confident demeanour gone, instead his boyfriend was bashful, just wanting to surprise and treat Blaine, the act so kind and selfless that he felt butterflies ruffle in his stomach. 

“Oh Seb, it’s perfect. You’re perfect” he replied, arms snaking around his waist and pressing a light kiss on his lips. “So your meeting was a ruse then huh.”

Sebastian played with a loose curl, twisting it round his finger gently before letting it drop down. “No actually, I had to go and speak with a professor about some upcoming coursework, but I went in this morning, got it all done by 1. I had to pop back to mine before coming here hence why it’s all a little rushed, but better than having to wait til the evening to see you.” Blaine smiled softly at that, eyes gazing at his boyfriend adoringly. “I’ve never really missed people before – my mom a little bit, I guess, but I’m used to her being in France by now so it’s not the same. You, on the other hand, Blaine Anderson, have infected my dead heart somehow, and made me miss you so fucking much I didn’t want to even have to wait a few more hours.” He smiled down, caressing Blaine’s cheek with a touch so tender his fingers barely brushed the skin, tracing down to his cheekbone to his jawline, green eyes wide and glistening. “I still can’t believe that I’m lucky enough to call you my boyfriend, and I want to work every day to love you the way to deserve to be loved.” The words came out his mouth quietly, the sentence over before he even realised what he’d just admitted. Blaine’s eyes widened slowly, mouth dropping into an ‘o’, as Sebastian froze and recognition over what he just said sunk in. His expression became a little panicked, desperately avoiding Blaine’s face and he looked like he was about to move, before his boyfriend wrapped an arm round the back of his neck and softly grabbed his chin with the other hand. 

“I want to love you, the way you deserve to be loved Sebastian. I love you” he spoke slowly, each word heavy so that his boyfriend understood that he meant them, they were purposeful and true. He was met by piercing eyes, slightly wet, as they searched his face for any hint of a lie, but he found none, smile dancing on his lips as he took Blaine’s hand from his face and entwined with his own. 

“I love you too killer” he murmured, face bright and hopeful, speaking as if he almost couldn’t believe it – for Sebastian, this was 4 years of pain, desperation, self-hatred and love coming apiece, all unfolding in front of his eyes as Blaine held him close, heart full. 

They stood in the kitchen together, surrounded by a mess of flour and chocolate, exchanging soft kisses and light touches, whispering tenderly to one another as they existed in one another’s arms. At some point in the future, Sam would come home, and the three of them would watch films and cook dinners together, going out for drinks at sketchy pubs and proper clubs. School would start properly again, Blaine spending his days writing out sheet music and composing essays, whilst Sebastian would be holed up in the library pouring over notes and case files, fuelled solely on coffee and pettiness. Not everything would be perfect – nothing truly is – as there would be fights stemming from lack of sleep and both being overworked, insecurities about ex boyfriends and flirtatious guys in class. But they would always return home to one another, talking about their problems and allowing communication and respect, their love built upon trust and compassion. Eventually, they would move into Sebastian’s studio, filling it with thrift store furniture which the taller boy would pretend to hate but secretly love, and souvenirs from their annual spring break trip to Paris. They would graduate college, finding their way through life together, through difficult jobs and demanding internships, but always finding comfort in one another, and their support system of friends surrounding them. 

They would find love and peace in their life together, but for now, they were just two boys in love, two slow dancers in an apartment in New York, lost in each other’s embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so so much for reading <3 i know the ending is sappy as shit and this chapter is a little shorter but it just felt right to me. please feel free to leave comments, and my tumblr is killer-leo if you wanna say hi :)  
> (tell me how i can write 36,000+ words in 4 days but not a 2,000 word essay for uni in 2 months??)  
> much love to everyone xxx


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